Would you hate me if you knew that I ate my first bowl of Spaghetti Carbonara last year in Europe? Yep totally true. I think the whole egg thing has thrown me off all these years, and thus kept me far, far away from the egg based pasta. But while on vacation I tend to get a little more adventurous. I was craving creamy pasta and I gave it a try… and what do you know? I loved it, and then proceeded to gorge myself until I had a stomach ache (which by the way I don’t recommend that).
I was inspired to make a lighter version of spaghetti carbonara at home. I was craving comfort food. I had a busy day at the office and all I wanted to do was eat a quick comforting dinner and then veg on the couch (which lets get real I rarely ever veg on the couch. I typically get my second wind after dinner and start working on blog stuff until the wee-hours of the morning).
So on that sluggish evening (this happened be right after I made tons of homemade spaghetti) I knew I wanted to make pasta but I didn’t know what. I typically make my go-to Shrimp Scampi recipe, but on this particular night I did something I haven’t done in a while… I opened a cookbook! gasp! I find myself opening cookbooks less and less and going straight to the internet. And then, of course, once I open the cookbook I tend to get lost in it for hours just as I would the internet. That’s when I flipped to this glorious recipe. This was also around Easter time when I had leftover Slow Cooker Ham. Might I add, that I never have ham in the refrigerator, so I felt that this recipe was destine to be cooked. I will tell you that Spaghetti Carbonara is not as scary as it might seem… even if you aren’t a fan of egg yolks–its creamy and comforting and brought me right back to Italy!
Cook fresh spaghetti for 3 minutes or until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and set to the side.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced ham and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta to the pan and stir well.
In a large bowl, combine the Parmigiano-Reginnao, sour cream, skim milk, salt, and lightly beaten eggs. Mix well, then add the reserved pasta water. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and stir until incorporated and cook for 5 minutes. You'll want the sauce to thicken--make sure it does not boil. Stir in ground black pepper and fresh chives and serve immediately.
I love a meal where I can use up leftovers. Transform them into something new. That is exactly what this recipe is today. Back in January, I shared how to make Spicy Italian Sausage Subs with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce in the Slow Cooker. Super simple meal that allows your slow cooker to do all the work for you. Then a few weeks later I showed you how to Roast Red Bell Peppers. Well, I don’t know about you but when I have lots of leftovers I like to transform them. And thus this beautiful Fire-Roasted Tomato & Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta Bake came to life.
Not only did I utilize some of the leftovers I had on hand, but I used a few more pantry staples include Dreamfields Pasta, some fresh herbs from my garden, and cheese in the refrigerator. After boiling up my pasta, I toss all the ingredients together and voila a beautiful pasta bake ready in less than an hour. Typically, most pasta bakes are loaded with cheese. This pasta bake just so happened to not be loaded with cheese. I chose to place a few dollops of ricotta in the bake. Every now and then we don’t need our pasta loaded with cheese, right? Ok, maybe I’m wrong, but I loved it just the way I made it. If you love cheese feel free to load it up! Either way–its a great way to use up leftovers!
Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Then add in pasta, chopped roasted red bell peppers, spicy Italian sausage, and sauce. Toss well them add 8 dollops (tablespoons) of ricotta, sprinkle with caramelized onions and grated cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the inside of the pasta is hot and the cheese is melted.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Disclaimer:I received pasta from Dreamfields pasta; however, I was not compensated nor required to write about them. This is a brand I buy on a regular basis and enjoy eating. As always, all opinions are my own.
I didn’t learn how to make shrimp scampi until I was in my early twenties. I just thought it was a delicacy you could only get at restaurants. I had no idea how easy it was to make at home! I’ve been making my Shrimp Scampi Pasta for years now, and as the years progress I keep finding ways to make it healthier. One of the ways I make my pasta healthier is buy using Dreamfields Pasta. Their healthy pasta recipe has fewer digestible carbs, about the same high fiber as whole wheat pasta, and it can help you manage your blood sugar. I’ve served this pasta to countless people and no one can tell the difference!
Ove the years I’ve went from making Shrimp Scampi Pasta for only special occasions like Valentine’s day to entertaining with this main entree when all my family comes in town (about 15+). If you omit the broth and just use water for the cornstarch slurry (and of course omit the pasta) the shrimp scampi portion is gluten free! So it has always worked for me to make this dish when I entertain for my family since my cousin has a gluten allergy. I’ll dish hers up first (a nice hearty portion of shrimp is garlic-lemon wine sauce) and then continue to plate others on top of pasta. No need for me to have to make multiple meals to suit all needs.
So if you haven’t thought about what you are doing for Valentine’s Day dinner tomorrow night you might want to consider this quick-and-easy Shrimp Scampi Pasta to impress the one you love! Oh and if you want to spice this up a little I’ve been known to add in a handful of chopped fresh spinach or even some grape tomatoes into the scampi sauce as it reduced down. Get creative!
Looking for a quick and easy fancy dinner that will impress just about anyone? This Shrimp Scampi Pasta will not only impress the ones you love, but satisfy everyones craving for a rich shrimp scampi dish that is lighter on the waistline!
Bring a pot of water to a boil (make sure you salt your water). Once the water comes to a boil put in the spaghetti. Cook until al dente (according to package).
In a skillet, on medium heat add butter and olive oil cook until butter is melted (about 1 minute). Then add the lemon pepper seasoning, thinly sliced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cover and let this marry for a few minutes (5 minutes) (make sure that the butter and garlic do not burn)!
Add white wine to the pan and stir. Let the wine cook out of the dish (about 5 minutes) then add shrimp. Cover and cook on medium for 2-3 minutes.
While shrimp is cooking mix together teaspoon chicken stock with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set to the side.
Stir the shrimp, and then push them against the pan to create a hole. Turn the heat off on the stove burner. Whisk in cornstarch liquid mixture making sure that it doesn't get lumpy. Sprinkle half of the fresh parsley in the pan. Mix everything well. Remove the pan from the heat.
Plate spaghetti and then generously dish out shrimp and sauce over pasta. Serve with a wedge of lemon and enjoy!
Notes
*If you omit the pasta and the stock using water instead for the cornstarch slurry this can be served as a Gluten Free dish.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Disclaimer:I have a working relationship with Dreamfields pasta. I received pasta to create this recipe; however, I was not compensated. As always all opinions are my own.
I don’t know about you but when I make a big holiday meal I want to stretch the leftovers as far as possible. This means transforming leftovers and re-inventing them so your family and friends don’t get tired of eating essentially the same foods over and over again! A few weeks ago I co-hosted a holiday open house with Julie from The Little Kitchen. We invited food bloggers from Central Florida to celebrate the holiday. Since we were having the get-together at my house I decided that I would roast a turkey breast. We had more than enough and of course it left me with an abundance of leftovers! Since I’m not one to waste for the next few days I cooked up a wide variety of dishes that utilized the leftover turkey. First up, I made this Turkey Pesto Pasta.
I used Dreamfields Pasta which I adore because it has twice the amount of fiber of regular pasta. Making this a healthier pasta dish than the traditional. I also incorporated a few vegetables such as peas and spinach and utilized some roasted sun-dried tomatoes to kick up the flavor profile. I typically always have pesto frozen in my freezer, so I just took out a half cup portion to cook in the dish. I made this meal in less than 30 minutes and no one realized they were eating leftover turkey!
Optional: fresh basil and more parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions
Cook Dreamfields Spaghetti according to package. Cook it 2 minutes less than required. Make sure to RESERVE 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Once cooked, set to the side until needed.
In a large skillet heat olive oil, butter, and garlic on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then add frozen peas, frozen pesto (*If your pesto is fresh add it towards the end when you are adding the pasta to the dish), and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until pesto and peas are defrosted.
Then add 2 cups turkey to the skillet as well as 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir until incorporated then add pasta and parmesan cheese. Mix well and if needed add the remaining pasta water to the skillet. Serve pasta and garnish with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
Katie Original Recipe. Copyright 2012 KatiesCucina.com
Winter is really here in Florida. I know for most of you–you are probably rolling your eyes as you read this. But for this Florida-girl… it is cold outside! Don’t get me wrong–I welcome the cooler weather and enjoy not having through-the roof utility bills; however, I’m cold! I make soups all year round, but now I’m finding my one-pot a week soup rule has now increased to two pots.
I took a chance on this recipe. I wasn’t really sure if I was going to like this. I have never put sweet potato in a soup before this one. Let me tell you… I was missing out on life. I also tried swiss chard for the first time. I know… don’t kill me. I love my greens but for some reason I was scared of swiss chard (and I have no idea why). The swiss chard reminded me of the beet greens I sauteed a few months ago for dinner. The night I made this I felt like I may have disappointed my husband. We had consumed multiple nights of vegetarian / lighter meals. When he first walked in the door I immediately belted out… we are having soup for dinner–if it’s not enough for you I’ll make you something else afterwards. And too my surprise he responded “oh that’s perfectly ok, I’m in the mood for soup”. This is why I married him. He embraces and loves soup just as much as I do! On a side note, he downed multiple bowls of this hearty soup. He loved everything about it–including the sweet potatoes and the swiss chard. We both agree that we like swiss chard way better than we do kale!
This hearty soup is perfect for a cold winter night. The earthiness of the sweet potatoes and swiss chard balance well against the sweet Italian sausage. Serve with crusty garlic bread and your meal is complete!
Ingredients
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lbs Sweet Italian Sausage
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Water
3/4 cups pasta shells
4 cups swiss chard
Parmesan cheese for serving
Directions
In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper; cook until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the sausage to the pot, breaking it up with a spoon; cook until browned about 5 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and two cups water; bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than package instructions. Reduce to a simmer, add the swiss chard and cook until wilted (about 4 minutes).
Ladle soup in to bowls, and top with a generous serving of grated parmesan cheese.
A few months ago, the amazing people at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute reached out to me after Christine and I talked with Maureen during our Salmon Google Hangout. They wanted me to give Alaskan salmon a try as well as some of the other seafood species native to Alaska. This was a perfect offer for me to accept since we love seafood in our home. I had my box of seafood delivered to my office, and I must say it was quite comical. The mail room was confused and my coworkers weren’t too happy that my big box took up 1/3 of our community refrigerator. I called my husband, Jon, and told him that we were having a fancy-pants dinner that night. If you follow me on instagram you might have saw a random wednesday night indulgence of Alaskan King Crab legs among other sides.
After our feast I started dreaming up recipe ideas. And well… then we went on vacation, and now its November, and I finally got to dig into the delicious Alaskan seafood! I wanted to make butternut squash risotto the other week; however, thats when I realized I didn’t have any arborio rice! So I went to the next best thing… orzo pasta. Not the same, but worked. I was still trying to figure out what to pair with this pasta when it dawned on me that I had plump and juicy Alaskan scallops hanging out in my freezer. That’s when I got this really crazy idea. Why not sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice on them!??! Crazy thought turned AMAZING. The flavors complimented one another so well. I can’t wait to make this recipe again!
Pumpkin Spiced Alaskan Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Orzo
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Orzo
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups orzo
32oz box of chicken broth
1 cup butternut squash roasted
Pumpkin Spiced Alaskan Scallops
1lb Alaskan Scallops
1/4 tsp each; dried thyme, dill, garlic powder
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
salt
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
lemon juice
Directions
Butternut Squash Orzo
In a large pot pour one tablespoon olive oil and heat at medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Add orzo pasta, toasting for one minute (and constantly stirring). Then pour in one 32 ounce box of chicken broth. Place a lid on the orzo, bring to a boil then reduce down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add in the roasted butternut squash and cook for up to 5 more minutes or until most liquid is absorbed, pasta is cooked, and butternut squash is warm.
Pumpkin Spiced Alaskan Scallops
During the last 10 minutes of the orzo cooking begin preparing the scallops. Rinse scallops, then pat dry.
In a small bowl mix together all the spices; dried thyme, dill, garlic powder, and pumpkin spice. Sprinkle salt on top of the scallops followed by sprinkling the dry spice mix (on one side--you will have spice mix leftover).
In a frying pan add butter and olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Add seasoned-side of scallops face down on the pan. Then sprinkle with additional salt and remaining herb mix. Cook for 5 minutes then flip the scallops. They should have a nice caramelized color on the bottom. If not kick up the heat to high. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 and both sides of the scallops are caramelized. Serve on top of a bed of butternut squash orzo.
Notes
This recipe requires pre-roasted butternut squash. Roast a big batch and use it throughout the week! To roast: peel and cut butternut squash, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 450 for 20 minutes or until soft.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Disclaimer: I received seafood from Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute for free; however, I was not compensated to write this post. All opinions are my own.
Guys, Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK! It is time to get serious about menu planning. Thanksgiving is a foodies dream. A holiday where we give thanks to all the people and things we have in life and celebrate by eating a big feast. Where we tend to gorge ourselves of turkey, stuffing, and countless side dishes. I have a feeling that this side dish will be on many tables come next Thursday. This dressed up mac and cheese is super special. Not only does it contain flakes of real crab meat on top, but there is a super secret flavor that no one will be expecting. I used one pound of garlic and pesto monterey jack cheese that brought this mac and cheese to the next level. Theres really no need for additional spices to be added because the cheese is so incredibly creamy and flavorful. I’m a huge fan of baked macaroni and cheese that has crumb topping. So I decided to step it up a notch and add the crab into the mix. Oh, and did I mention, there are peas in this mac and cheese? This can definitely be an optional component; however, I’m a big fan of peas in pasta. I don’t know why. I just am. People either love or hate peas (like mots foods). When I brought a plate over for my neighbor to try that was the first thing she commented on “I love the peas”. It’s a little unexpected yet another way to incorporate getting your veggies in!
You may be wondering why and how this recipe came to life? The week after Thanksgiving, I’m heading up to Virginia for the first ever Mixed Conference. I’m incredibly excited and grateful that I can attend. I hope to learn many new techniques, tips, and tricks to apply to Katie’s Cucina. On the first evening of the conference Dreamfields Pasta is hosting a midnight mac and cheese party. They have incorporated a friendly competition into the mix and asked for attendees to submit an original mac and cheese recipe. The winning recipe will be featured at the midnight mac and cheese party as well as win some pretty cool prizes. So I got to work this weekend and created this fancy mac and cheese recipe in hopes that it will be the featured recipe of the evening in just a few short weeks!
In case you’ve never heard of Dreamfields Pasta it contains low digestible carbs, high fiber, and is low on the glycemic index.With Dreamfields you get the healthy advantage, making Dreamfields the perfect pasta for health conscious pasta lovers. This pasta has as much fiber as two cups of raw broccoli! The next time your out shopping, I’d highly suggest you buy a box of Dreamfields Pasta and give it a try! Your family will never know the difference and you’ll be helping them out!
While the pasta is cooking, bring the heavy cream up to a boil, then reduce to low (about 5 minutes).
Add the shredded garlic & pesto Monterey jack cheese to the hot heavy cream. Stir until well incorporated. Then add 1 cup of green peas. Stir well and set to the side.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a square glass baking dish, spray non-stick cooking spray around the dish. Add a layer of cheese sauce to the bottom of the dish followed by elbow macaroni. Mix well, and repeat, until all of the macaroni and cheese sauce have been incorporate.
In a separate bowl prepare the topping for the macaroni and cheese. Place 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 cup crab meat, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and a dash of pepper. Mix well and carefully pour over top of the macaroni and cheese. Smooth out until all areas of the macaroni and cheese have been covered with crumb topping.
Place the macaroni and cheese in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Then broil on high for 5 minutes or until crumb topping is golden brown.
This recipe is brought to you by Katie Jasiewicz of Katies Cucina
Disclaimer: I was not compensated to create this recipe. This recipe will be entered in a mac and cheese contest for Dreamfields Pasta. If I win I will win a few prizes as well as be featured on Dremfields Pasta social media outlets.
In ode to my current trip to Italy I figured I would give my readers a little taste of Italy. Italian meals are about simple yet bold flavors. First off, last month’s issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray (in my mind) was created just for me. As you know I’m on my last day of vacation before I have to fly back to the states. I’m sure I’ve consumed quite a few amazing meals by now. (Remember, this is scheduled out since I promised my husband that I would unplug from the internet!)
Ok, back to the magazine. I couldn’t put last months issue down. It was preparing me for all the amazing food I was about to experience. So I kind of went a little overboard and started making tons of Italian food. When I found the recipe for this soup I knew I had to make it. I love has simple it is yet the flavor profile tastes like it has been slow cooked on the stove for hours! This is a perfect quick soup to whip up now that fall weather has begun!
In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook until the fat renders and it begins to brown (about 5 minutes). Add the diced onion and marjoram and cook until the onion is softened (about 8 minutes). Feel free to lower the heat if the onions are starting to brown.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil (over high heat). Stir in the ditalini pasta and peas and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in one cup of parmesan cheese. Serve and sprinkle additional cheese on top. Enjoy!
I love a quick and easy (and of course very tasty) pasta salad. I also like when they aren’t chocked full of mayonaise. I had this recipe idea in my head for a while now and finally brought this Greek-style pasta salad to life! Granted, it does contain cheese that has to be refrigerated, but its just as fabulous to bring to an upcoming bbq. I developed an entire Greek menu all dedicated to bbqing since we are unofficially celebrating the last week of summer before Labor day. So stay tuned all week because by Friday I’ll have an entire menu for you to wow your friends and family this Labor day weekend!
Cook pasta according to package, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
Meanwhile in a large bowl (or container) add halved grape tomatoes, diced cucumber, feta, sliced kalamata olives, red onion, and artichoke hearts together.
In a small bowl add 1/4 cup canola oil and Greek seasoning together--mix well until well combined.
Add pasta to bowl and begin mixing the vegetables and cheese with the pasta. Once the pasta and vegetables are partially combined proceed to pour the oil/seasoning mix over the pasta. Mix well until everything is well incorporated. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Notes
*After refrigerating the salad the oil tended to stick to the pasta. Feel free to let the pasta salad sit out for a good 15 minutes, mix well and if need be add a little more oil and Greek seasoning.
**my neighbor added peperocinis to this and said it was phenomenal.
Last year, I had the honor to guest post over at Aggie’s Kitchen. Through food blogging–Aggie has become a good friend of mine. We send random text messages to one another, emails, and have had the chance to attend a few cool events together (Southeast Produce Council, CFL Bloggers Bake Sales, and Food Blog Forum Orlando). I shared this recipe last October with Aggie’s readers and have yet to share it with my own.
We are eating on average 6-8 zucchini’s a week in our house hold. So when you have a plethora a zucchini you start getting creative. The wide variety of herbs, jalapeno to kick it up a notch and then of course the lime makes this a fresh and flavorful dish for the summer. Best of all it’s meat free! I’ve made this dish multiple times in our household and we’ve never felt the need to add a piece of meet with this pasta. However, you could easily fire up the grill and cook chicken or shrimp skewers to add additional protein if needed.
Don’t be scared by the variety of flavor profiles in this dish. Give this fresh and flavorful dish a try the next time you are trying to figure out what to make on a hot summers day.
3 zucchini, Thinly sliced into 1/4-inch-by-2-inch strips
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil,chopped
1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese (divided)
salt & pepper
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled, chopped, and toasted
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Once the water is to a boil add the pasta and cook until al dente. Prior to draining reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water, drain, and set pasta to the side.
While the pasta is cooking prep your veggies: halve the zucchini lengthwise, and thinly slice into 1/4-inch-by-2-inch strips. Chopped garlic, jalapeno, herbs, and nuts.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, over medium-high heat. Stir in the jalapeno and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the zucchini to the skillet and season with salt and pepper.Cook until tender, roughly 8-10 minutes.
While the zucchini is cooking in a small frying pan heat the chopped pistachios on medium heat. Stir frequently to ensure they don't burn. As soon as you see them starting to brown remove them from the heat.
Add the juice of 1 lime to the zucchini and stir in the butter to melt. Add the pasta, parsley, mint, basil, handful of cheese, and the 1/2 cup reserved starchy cooking water. Toss for 1-2 minutes and add additional cooking water if needed. To serve, top each bowl with more pecorino-romano cheese and the toasted chopped pistachios.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
