Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Pasta

 

Deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan Pasta

Ingredients:

½ large eggplant, cut into ½” size pieces

2 roma tomatoes – chopped and seeded

½ viola sweet onion – diced

2 gloves garlic – diced

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups marinara sauce

¾ cup water

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

fresh basil

fresh mozzarella balls (cut into small bite size pieces)

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

cooking spray

parmesan cheese – grated for topping

2 cups noodles

Directions:

 Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Add the eggplant, onion, and one teaspoon salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes. (Make sure your heat isn’t too high or it will burn the onions.) Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and let cook for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and rinse.

Heat small skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add panko breadcrumbs. Cook and stir for about 4 minutes until the crumbs become crispy. Remove from heat.

Mix the mozzarella cheese into the eggplant mixture. Serve over noodles and top with fresh basil, panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Sauce

This is a great sauce to eat with any prepared Italian dish. Or I just ate the leftovers by spoonful it was so good! The picture for this sauce is with the Eggplant Parmesan. It is not too hard to make, just make sure you give yourself time to let it simmer for about 40 minutes. I actually liked it better the next day once all the seasonings settled.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

6-7 ripe tomatoes

¾ cup dicedcarrots

1 cup dicedcelery

2 clovesgarlic – minced

¼ sweet onion –chopped

2 bay leafs

½ to ¾ cup water

Dried oreganoand basil – about 1 tablespoon each

1-teaspoonsugar

3 dashes salt

2 dashespepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a Dutchoven or big pan. Add celery, onion and carrots. Let cook on medium low and stirfor 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook on low for 2 more minutes.

Cut shallow x’s at thebottom of each tomato to make the peeling process easier. Boil water in amedium saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the tomatoes for 2 minutes.

Put ice and water in alarge bowl, add the tomatoes. Carefully peel the tomatoes and place in a foodprocessor. Pulse until a smooth/chucky consistency. Set tomatoes aside.

Put the celery/ carrot/onion mixture into food processor for 30 seconds and then put back into Dutchoven. Add tomatoes, water, bay leafs, oregano, basil, and sugar to the mixture.Simmer low for 35-45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spring Pea Pasta

Spring Pea Pasta

Ingredients:

Homemade Fettuccini Noodles – 2 servings or can use box noodles

1 tablespoon smart balance

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 garlic gloves – minced

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons fresh shaved – roughly chopped

1 ½ cup peas

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Make your pasta or boil noodles according to directions. 

  To make the sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the SmartBalance. 
 

  Add the flour and stir for one minute. Add the minced garlic, lower heat and stir for 2 minutes.

  Slowly add in the vegetable broth, whisk until smooth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper.

 

To assemble the pasta: Add the noodles, peas, and top with parmesan cheese. 

 

Serve with a crusty slice of French bread and enjoy your tasty springtime pasta!  

Spring Pea Pasta

Ingredients:

Homemade Fettuccini Noodles – 2 servings or can use box noodles

1 tablespoon smart balance

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 garlic gloves – minced

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons fresh shaved – roughly chopped

1 ½ cup peas

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make your pasta or boil noodles according to directions.

To make the sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the SmartBalance. Add the flour and stir for one minute. Add the minced garlic, lower heat and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly add in the vegetable broth, whisk until smooth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper.

To assemble the pasta: Add the noodles, peas, and top with parmesan cheese.

Spinach Fettucini with Kale Pesto and Veggies

Ingredients for Kale pesto sauce:
½ bunch kale, washed and chopped – big stems removed  

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

2 tablespoons milk

Ingredients for Roasted Tomatoes:

10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for sauted vegetables:

Use any veggie you have on hand. I used mushrooms and zuchinni.

½ box of fettucini noodles

 

Directions:

Roast Tomatoes:

In an oven safe dish drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them on 275 for about 35 minutes.

To make the pesto cream sauce:

Chop the garlic in the food processor.

Steam kale in large pot with ½ cup water. On medium, cover, and stir occasionally

For about 4 minutes.  Drain and add to food processor.

Add lemon juice and pulse. Add olive oil and pulse until smooth. Add white wine and pulse a few more times.

In a skillet on low melt butter. Stir in the flour for two minutes. Add milk and stir for one minute. Add half of the kale pesto sauce and cook on low for 7 minutes- stirring constantly.

 Boil the noodles, drain, and rinse. Return to pot.

Spray a pan with cooking spray. Heat on medium heat and add veggies, salt, and pepper. Saute the vegetables on the stove for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Mix all the ingredients together and top with shredded parmesan cheese. Enjoy your yummy pasta!! 

Spinach Fettucini with Kale Pesto and Veggies

Ingredients for Kale pesto sauce:
½ bunch kale, washed and chopped – big stems removed  

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

2 tablespoons milk

Ingredients for Roasted Tomatoes:

10-12 cherry or grape tomatoes

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for sauted vegetables:

Use any veggie you have on hand. I used mushrooms and zuchinni.

½ box of fettucini noodles

Directions:

Roast Tomatoes:

In an oven safe dish drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them on 275 for about 35 minutes.

To make the pesto cream sauce:

Chop the garlic in the food processor.

Steam kale in large pot with ½ cup water. On medium, cover, and stir occasionally

For about 4 minutes.  Drain and add to food processor.

Add lemon juice and pulse. Add olive oil and pulse until smooth. Add white wine and pulse a few more times.

In a skillet on low melt butter. Stir in the flour for two minutes. Add milk and stir for one minute. Add half of the kale pesto sauce and cook on low for 7 minutes- stirring constantly.

 Boil the noodles, drain, and rinse. Return to pot.

Spray a pan with cooking spray. Heat on medium heat and add veggies, salt, and pepper. Saute the vegetables on the stove for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Mix all the ingredients together and top with shredded parmesan cheese.