Tag: pasta meals
Bowtie Pasta with Spinach and Chicken
My daughter was having one of her play dates again and two of her friends were coming over and staying for dinner. My daughter loves having her friends over for dinner- “it is so much fun”, she always says. I usually remind her that I have to make something healthy and usually from scratch so it is quite a lot of work me me- but honestly, I enjoy it too. Especially because I get to try out different kid-friendly dishes and see their reactions.
For this particular dinner I needed to make something in advance since I was not going to be home. Our sitter would be giving them their meal. I had two chicken breast on the bone which I decided to roast with the skin on. I shredded the meat once it was nice and juicy after taking the skin off. I bought bowtie pasta to make things a little interesting. I bought baby spinach since I needed the meal to be made in one pot and it also had to be well balanced.
I cooked the pasta and mixed the shredded chicken and baby spinach in the sauce pan. I added some homemade tomato sauce to give the pasta additional yummy flavor. I transferred the pasta into an oven proof dish and mixed in and topped with some shredded mozzarella cheese.
It was simple and quick. Once I got home I was curious to know their reactions. I was told they were all skeptical at first since everything was mixed in together but once they tried it- they liked it. My daughter who is more used to eating such meals thought it was delicious.
Next time you have a dinner play date for your kids- try the bowtie pasta with spinach and chicken.
Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta with Lemon Zest
If I had to pick one pasta dish to eat for the rest of my life, it would be this. I don’t know exactly why I love this pasta so much but every time I think about it, my mouth salivates! I guess it is the combination of the savory golden brown chicken sausage with the earthy bitter broccoli rabe which really excites my palate. A lot of people don’t use this green too much. It’s a combination of not knowing what exactly broccoli rabe is and how to cook it. Contrary to the name, it is not related to broccoli. It is actually part of the turnip family and so it has a very nice nutty flavor with a little bitterness. I actually like the bitterness since it reminds me of mustard greens. The creaminess of the pine nuts goes really well with the bitterness. I also love the fresh citrus flavor of the lemon zest. I use Pecorino cheese instead of parmesan cheese because it has a stronger flavor and can stand really well to the strong flavored broccoli rabe. Overall it’s a light pasta with very strong flavors. My favorite way to eat the dish is with crusty garlic bread and a nice bold red wine!
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4-5 links chicken sausage, sliced in 1 inch pieces
- 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts, roasted
- Salt to taste
- ½ pound cooked penne
- ¼ cup reserved cooked pasta water
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
- Zest of one lemon
- ¼ cup pecorino romano, grated
In a wide frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and sauté on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or till golden brown. Add the garlic and pine nuts, sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Next add the broccoli rabe and cook till the greens are wilted and cooked down, for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta with the pasta water. Add salt to taste and stir well. Finish the pasta with the lemon zest, basil and cheese.