Tag: pasta

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

If you love the flavor of a Caesar salad, then you’ll adore this pasta version, served chilled with roasted herb chickpeas and crunchy sliced almonds.

We are being blessed with another weekend of warm weather here in the Chicago suburbs. So I came up with this kale caesar pasta salad to enjoy because I know cooler temps are one their way and soon my kitchen will be filled with stick-to-your-ribs comfort food meals (healthy, of course) like chili, roasted vegetables and braised beef recipes. But until then, I am satisfying my pasta salad craving by bulking it up with hearty kale and roasted chickpeas. Roasting chickpeas makes them the perfect stand in for croutons, amping up the protein in recipes and adding a delicate crunch. Roasted chickpeas lose their crunch quickly, but still taste great and add texture to salads.

The dressing is a light, salty Caesar make with almond milk. 2% milk would also work. This is not a super creamy dressing but it can be made thicker by adding 1/2 cup mayonnaise or greek yogurt to the other ingredients instead of the almond milk. I opted to keep it light since this is a pasta salad and already quite the meal in itself. Grilled chicken or steak can also be added for the carnivores in your family.

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Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

10 minutes

40 minutes

50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 3 cups dry whole wheat fusilli pasta
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • For Roasted Chickpeas
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1/4 t dried dill
  • 1/8 t paprika
  • 1/8 t onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • For Caesar Dressing
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp anchovy paste
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients for dressing in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass jar. Preheat oven to 350F. Blot chickpeas dry with a paper towel and place in a small bowl along with other ingredients. Toss and pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes, rotating chickpeas halfway through roasting with a spatula. Remove from oven and set aside.
  2. While chickpeas cook, boil pasta according to package directions. During the last minute of cooking, add kale to pasta water.
  3. Strain and run cold water over pasta. Pour into a large bowl and add olives. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Chill 1 hour. Top with parmesan cheese, almonds and chickpeas. Serve chilled.
http://freshandfit.org/kale-caesar-pasta-salad/

Herbed Fusilli Pasta with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Beans

Herbed Fusilli Pasta Fresh and Fit

As you can tell by scrolling through my blog, the majority of my recipes are plant-based. I try to eat a mostly plant-based with a sprinkling of animal protein throughout the week. I consider myself a part time vegetarian. If I do purchase meat, I make sure it was held to high standards and practices. My hat goes off to strict vegans and vegetarians. It is a very disciplined and aware way of life. I try to do the best I can giving the knowledge I continue to gain about the meat industry and animal welfare. I don’t try to push my beliefs on anyone, I simply believe in doing your best and maintaining your ethics the best you can. Now onto today’s recipe…
Give your pasta a nutritional boost with fresh veggies in this herbed fusilli pasta recipe. Hearty mushrooms take the place of meat for a filling plant-based dish perfect for chilly fall days.

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Herbed Fusilli Pasta with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Beans

Yield: 8 servings

Herbed Fusilli Pasta with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 16oz package of fusilli pasta
  • 1 8oz package of sliced baby portobello mushrooms
  • 1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 cups green beans, sliced in half
  • 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese, organic preferred
  • 1 c heavy cream, organic preferred
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 tbsp basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp chili flakes

Instructions

  1. Begin by boiling water for pasta. In the meantime, sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp of olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes in a separate pan. About 10 minutes.
  2. Add in green beans, 2 tablespoons of basil, oregano, chili flakes and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
  4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.
  5. Return pasta to pot and pour in vegetable mixture. Stir to coat.
  6. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and basil.
http://freshandfit.org/herbed-fusilli-pasta-with-mushrooms-sun-dried-tomato-and-green-beans/

Autumn Spaghetti with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Autumn Spaghetti Recipe

Nothing says “Fall” like a big bowl of pasta. Today’s recipe is full of autumn goodness with sweet and savory flavors running through it. Instead of a traditional tomato sauce, we are making a simple and delicious brown sugar and sage butter to coat the spaghetti. Roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, brussels sprouts and walnuts make this vegetarian autumn spaghetti a perfect entree for meatless mondays during the cooler months.
 

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Autumn Spaghetti with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Autumn Spaghetti with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz package of spaghetti
  • 1 c Brussels sprouts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 c mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 c walnuts, chopped
  • 6 tbsp grass-fee butter
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 5 sage leaves, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
  • 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut, seed and chopped squash into 1 inch cubes.
  2. Toss squash in 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper, roast for 30 minutes.
  3. Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter and add garlic, sliced mushrooms and Brussels sprouts. Stir to coat and cook until mushrooms are tender and sprouts are lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. In a sauce pan melt 4 tbsp butter. Add brown sugar and the other 2 tbsp olive oil, stir to dissolve. Add chopped sage. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
  6. Drain pasta and return to a large serving bowl. Combine squash, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and walnuts with pasta and toss gently.
  7. Stir in brown sugar and butter sauce.
  8. Top with grated Parmesan and extra sage.
http://freshandfit.org/autumn-spaghetti-with-brown-butter-and-sage-sauce/

Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Style Grass-Fed Beef

Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Style Beef Recipe

We are almost finished with summer *sigh*. Days will be getting shorter and cooler before we know it. Today’s recipe for Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Style Grass-Fed Beef offers homemade flavor in much less time. We are using store bought pasta sauce, but amping up the flavor and health factor with grass-fed beef seasoned Italian style and fresh veggies; both of which will simmer in the sauce giving the impression of a made from scratch sauce.
This way of cooking saves the time and hassle of making a fresh sauce when you are in a pinch and also allows you to control the quality of meat and veggies going into the dish. By adding the meat and veggies to the sauce, it also stretches the dish and adds bulk so you have leftovers. This recipe is one to keep handy when the days start to cool down and you want comfort food that is quick and healthy.

 

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Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Style Grass-Fed Beef

Serving Size: 6-8 servings

Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Style Grass-Fed Beef

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz. box of Rigatoni
  • 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
  • 1 25 oz. jar of pasta sauce (I used Dave’s Gourmet Wild Mushroom)
  • 1 zucchini quartered
  • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 packaged of sliced baby portobellos, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp fennel seed
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil for garnish, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Begin by heating a large pan over medium heat. Add ground beed and use a spatula to break up. cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Add all seasonings except fresh basil to ground beef. Stir well and continue to cook until ground beef begins to brown.
  3. Add vegetables to ground beef and allow to cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, begin to boil a large pot of water and cook rigatoni according to package.
  5. Pour pasta sauce over veggie and meat mixture. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
  6. Strain pasta and add into pan with sauce, meat and veggies. Stir well. Serve and garnish with fresh basil.
http://freshandfit.org/rigatoni-with-spicy-italian-style-grass-fed-beef/