Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad

I threw together this Greek pasta salad with leftover ingredients I had from making a layered Greek hummus dip. It is a perfect side dish (or even main dish) when you are craving something Greek.

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad
Source: Inspired by Kraft via Pinterest

1 package of cheese tortellini
1/3–1/2 cup Greek vinaigrette
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 large cucumber (chopped)
1/3 cup roasted red peppers (chopped)
1/3 cup kalamata olives (chopped)
1 teaspoon fresh oregano

Cook tortellini according to directions on package and drain.

Rinse tortellini with cold water. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add feta, cucumber, peppers, olives, and dressing and toss to combine.

Sprinkle with oregano.

Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta

I love the tang and earthiness of goat cheese. I think it pairs very well with veggies and pasta. This pasta recipe is light, creamy and tangy and easy to toss together on a busy weeknight. I paired it with crab cakes for an elegant weekend dinner.

Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta
Source: adapted from Bon Appetit via Pinterest

1 pound pasta
2 cups of chopped sauteed vegetables (I used a red pepper and small zucchini.) 
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2.5 oz. soft fresh goat cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to instructions on package.
Reserve 1 cup of cooking water when draining pasta.
In a large bowl, combine olive oil, lemon peel, and goat cheese.
Add pasta, veggies, and 1/4 cup of reserved water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste and add parmesan cheese. 

Pizza Pasta Salad

I love cookouts, but I get sick of the same old side dishes: pasta salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, etc. My coworker recently made a pizza pasta salad for a work potluck, and I fell in love with it. It was simple and delicious. I decided to make it instead of my old standby of macaroni salad for a recent family cookout. I was afraid my family would miss the macaroni salad, but this pasta salad got rave reviews. So if you're looking for a quick and easy side dish for a cookout or party, look no further than this recipe.

Pizza Pasta Salad
Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 pound any shape pasta
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite Italian dressing (I used Ken's light Italian with Romano and red pepper)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
4 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed
3/4 cup chopped or sliced pepperoni
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
chopped fresh basil or green onions for garnish (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside to cool. Once pasta has completed cooled, add dressing, seasonings, cheese, pepperoni, and tomatoes. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld. Top with chopped fresh basil or green onions, if desired. 

Creamy Taco Mac

As soon as I saw this pasta dish, I immediately made it—and it didn't disappoint. It's so versatile. You can use any pasta you want and add anything you like to it. I added a can of black beans and red pepper flakes to pump up the spiciness factor. I think it would also be great with a red bell pepper, corn, and green chilies. This was so easy to make and took under 30 minutes. This is a perfect weeknight meal. Simple and tasty.

Creamy Taco Mac

Source: adapted from Delish as seen on Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef
12 oz. pasta (I used rotini.)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added this.)
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained (I added this.)
5 tablespoons taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese (I used Neufchatel.)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low-fat.)
Salt & pepper, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 - 3/4 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over high heat. When the beef is almost done, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Drain and transfer to pot used to boil pasta. 

Mix in the diced tomatoes, black beans, and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Top each serving with shredded cheese, if desired.

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is one of my favorite meals. It's really easy to make, yet the majority of restaurants we go to always seem to mess it up. It's either flavorless, too lemony, too garlicky, or my pet peeve: They burn the garlic. If I want delicious scampi, I have to make it myself. I make this dish two different ways. Sometimes I throw everything together in a pan over medium heat on the stovetop and saute it and sometimes (when I'm feeling lazy) I throw it in a casserole dish and pop it in the oven. Whatever method is used always yields great results: Perfectly cooked shrimp in a light lemon-butter-garlic sauce. 

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 pound shrimp

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup chicken stock or white wine
2 - 3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/8 - 1/4 cup canola (or olive) oil
4 - 6 tablespoons butter
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley (to taste)
1 tablespoon bread crumbs (optional)
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Clean shrimp and leave tails on.
Add all ingredients to a casserole dish.
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
Bake 20 minutes, until shrimp are no longer pink.
Serve over angel hair pasta with crusty bread to soak up the juice.

Mac & Cheese

I'm not a huge fan of homemade mac and cheese. It's usually oily, too thick, or has no flavor. I never made it myself, so I really have no room to talk. Well, until now. I have to say while this was good, it was a little too thick. I'm guessing it needed more milk or less cheese. I'll have to play with this recipe a little until I perfect it to my liking. Otherwise, this was really good for my first try—flavorful and not oily.

Mac & Cheese

adapted from Family Circle, Oct. 17, 2009 issue

Ingredients:
1 pound macaroni (I used shells)
16 oz. shredded cheese
(4 oz. pepper jack, 4 oz. monterey jack, 8 oz. sharp cheddar)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 - 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

Bring a pot of salted water to boiling. Add pasta and boil for 8 - 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and bubbly. Pour milk in a thin stream into saucepan and whisk until well blended. Stir in onion salt, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in 12 oz. of cheese.

Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix well. Transfer to baking dish and top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

It's no secret that we love Mexican food. Randy requested stuffed shells for dinner, but I wasn't feeling like Italian. I wanted Mexican. I improvised and came up with this dish. It satisfied both of our cravings. These were really good, especially topped with salsa and a dollop of sour cream. They are time consuming, but they make enough for lunch and dinner the next day. You can also freeze the leftovers. 

Mexican Stuffed ShellsIngredients:

Box of large shells

2 pounds of ground beef

4 oz. can mild green chiles

1 package taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

1 can black beans

2 cans red enchilada sauce (or green)

1 cup queso fresco, crumbled

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

cumin and ground black pepper, to taste

salsa and sour cream, optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray.

Boil shells according to directions on package.

Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Brown ground beef.

Add green chiles halfway through browning.

Drain beef mixture.

Return to pan and add taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water.

Cook 3 - 5 minutes.

Drain beans and add cumin and ground black pepper to taste.

Add beans to beef mixture.

Spoon mixture into shells with queso fresco.

Top shells with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese.

Bake 40 - 50 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.