Category Archives: pasta

Summer Pasta with Ricotta, Pancetta & Peas

By Ali | Published: August 7, 2012

Any way I can find to make pasta feel like an {almost} healthy option for an easy and fast summer dinner I am totally on board. Pasta is my comfort food…well carbs in general are, but I have a particular love of noodle-y goodness. This is a great spring/summer dish that you can whip up, [...]

Also posted in main dish | Tagged comfort food, easy & fast, Rachael Ray | Leave a comment

Two Easy Summer Sides

By Ali | Published: July 3, 2012

Side dishes are my fave. I’ve been know to fill up a plate with mostly sides and only a little bit of whatever the main course or meat option is. I mean, I HAVE to try everything, right? Well, at this is my rationalization, and I’m sticking to it! These two recipes are my summer [...]

Also posted in salads, sides | Tagged family favorite, picnic food, summer | Leave a comment

Lemon & Arugula Pasta

By Ali | Published: May 15, 2012

This is my new favorite spring/summer pasta dish. It’s so light and delicious. The lemon is bright and fresh, the garlic and red pepper flakes give it a zing and the arugula balances everything with it’s peppery flavor. And well, everything gets better when you top it with a heap of yummy cheese, right? Angel [...]

Also posted in main dish | Tagged easy & fast, spring | Leave a comment

Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

By Ali | Published: February 6, 2012

Ooey-gooey-cheesy-goodness makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Macaroni and cheese is one of those foods that I crave after an icky day, especially in the cold months. Annie really got this recipe right, it’s the perfect amount of cheesiness, yet still packs some nice flavors. And the panko bread crumb topping is delish. This is [...]

Posted in pasta | Tagged comfort food | Leave a comment

Papperdalle with Lamb Ragu

By Ali | Published: December 27, 2011

Almost two years ago, the hubby found this recipe in an issue of Wine Spectator magazine and it quickly became one of our absolute favorite winter pasta dishes. It offers a more flavorful and rich take on traditional ragu sauce, but honestly, I’ll never go back to the old stuff. The sauce can easily be [...]

Also posted in main dish | Tagged comfort food, fall faves, family favorite, showstopper | 2 Comments

Lemon Parmesan Spaghetti

By Ali | Published: December 13, 2011

Oh the holiday season, I just love it. The decorations, twinkle lights, music, shopping, presents and the baking, oh the baking. It just makes me jolly. It truly is the season of giving in my opinion, and I love to give, especially edible items from my kitchen. I have some super fun recipes and gift [...]

Also posted in main dish | Tagged comfort food, easy & fast | 1 Comment

Rigatoni Pugliese

By Ali | Published: October 26, 2011

As far as hearty pasta dishes go, this one really hits the spot. It has a smooth, rich texture created by chickpea puree instead of butter and cream. So it has the full-bodied, earthy flavor without a lot of fat…and honestly you don’t even miss the richness of a lot of butter. It is surely [...]

Also posted in main dish, pork, sausage | Tagged comfort food, easy & fast | Leave a comment

Orzo salad

By Ali | Published: April 10, 2011

Another picnic standby of ours, again sticking with the theme. It goes great with anything really. I served it with rotisserie chicken and pork loin this past week, but it would also be a great accompaniment to burgers too! Funny story with where this recipe came from…when we were in college Matt and I would [...]

Also posted in salads, sides | Tagged picnic food | 2 Comments

Pimiento Mac n’ Cheese

By Ali | Published: March 31, 2011

I love mac & cheese, any time of the year, for lunch or dinner, as a side or a main dish…must I go on? There is something to be said about a giant bowl of carbs mixed with a heap of delicious cheese, right?? Well, when I saw the cover recipe in Bon Appetit’s March [...]

Posted in pasta | Tagged comfort food | Leave a comment

Be mine, Valentine

By Ali | Published: February 15, 2011

So this was the greatest, yet simplest and most relaxing Valentine’s Day ever. The hubby and I both worked until 7 and just had a nice dinner together, that wasn’t rushed. I tidied up the apartment, lit all the candles, put on my favorite jazz music (the fantastic Sean Jones) and started cooking away. The [...]