Cherry Tomato Sauce with Pasta

Last night my husband went fishing with his best friend and our daughter was working, so I had the house to myself. I decided to make myself some dinner and this is what I came up with, a dish that is inspired by one of Jamie Oliver's recipes from his new book Jamie's Food Revolution.

I have lots of grape tomatoes coming in almost everyday, so I've been looking for ways to use them up. I've never used balsamic vinegar in a pasta sauce before but I will be doing it again! I love how quickly this meal came together and how packed with flavor it was. The tomatoes were so sweet and delicious.



Cherry Tomato Sauce with Pasta


1/2 onion, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small bunch of fresh basil, torn into small-ish pieces.
1 pound pasta
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese


Bring a large pan of water to a boil for the pasta. When the water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to directions on box, saving a little of the pasta water for the sauce.


Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and onions til almost softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the grape tomatoes and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes. Add half the basil, balsamic vinegar, butter, half the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper (to taste). Add the drained pasta to the skillet, along with a couple of splashes of the cooking water, mixing well, until the pasta is coated with the sauce.


Serve with a little Parmesan cheese and the rest of the basil on top.



I'm participating in Jessica's What's On Your Plate?

Thai Style Pork Noodle Toss

We love stir fry dishes. It's a great way to use up whatever bits and pieces of vegetables or meats that you have in the refrigerator. I found this one on the Common Room site and stayed with the original recipe for the most part. I added about 1/2 of a red pepper to it since I had some in my fridge.

Thai Style Pork Noodle Toss

Serves 6

1 pound raw pork loin (I used tenderloin), sliced into thin strips

Combine:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger-root (or you can use ground ginger)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Add the meat to the above marinade for about 1/2 hour. (I only marinated the pork for about 10 minutes because I was using tenderloin, which is a very tender cut)

Meanwhile:

4 1/2 tablespoons oil

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1 teaspoons crushed red pepper, or to taste

4 cups sliced Chinese Napa cabbage-or regular if it is cheaper

1 grated carrot

1/2 of a red pepper, sliced thinly

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

Sauce:

Mix together:

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

3/4 pound pasta, cooked al dente, drained (I used spaghetti)

In a bowl marinade meat for at least half an hour as stated above. Heat a wok or large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of oil and then the meat, stir-frying until no pink remains. Set meat aside in the serving bowl.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil and heat over high heat until hot. Add the onions and crushed pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the cabbage, carrots, and any other vegetables you are using. Toss in the oil until the vegetables are cooked to the desired doneness (we like our vegetables more tender than crisp but not mushy). Add the sauce and heat until boiling. Add the cooked pork and noodles and toss to coat and blend.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Spaghetti con Aglio e Olio

This is a recipe I got out of a Rachael Ray cookbook. I've made this several times and it is surprisingly satisfying. Really, really good.

1 pound spaghetti

1/3 cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

8 to 10 anchovy fillets*

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Heat a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water and cook the pasta until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the pan is warm, add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and anchovies. Chop the parsley and set aside.

Drain the spaghetti really well but do not rinse it; rinsing will wash off the starch, and the starch helps the oil stick to the pasta. Pour the hot spaghetti into the skillet. Add the parsley and toss the pasta together with the anchovies, garlic, and oil to coat evenly. Season the completed dish liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

*Anchovy paste can also be used. Also, if you think you don't like anchovies, you might be surprised that you actually like this dish. The anchovies will melt into the oil and break up completely. Help break them up with a wooden spoon as they cook. Once they melt into oil, the anchovies will no longer taste fishy.

I'm joining in the Make It From Scratch Carnival and the Ultimate Recipe Swap today.

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

My husband can really surprise me sometimes. He is definitely a spaghetti and meatball or sausage with red spaghetti sauce kind of guy and hardly ever warmed up to any other kind of pasta-until I made this recipe a couple of years ago. While I love making his favorite dishes, I also like to try new ones, too. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it flops, but not this time. When he was eating this yesterday, he kept saying how good it was. While the pasta is the star of the show in this dish and I only used 3 links of sausage, you don't feel like you are being deprived of protein in any way. I also only had one bell pepper to put in this dish so I took out my frozen bag of peppers that I buy in the grocery store during the months when peppers are way too expensive. I also love how quick this is to put together.

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

2 tablespoons oil
About 1 (you can use more or less) pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
OR
1 bag of frozen chopped peppers
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta (I used penne rigate), cooked according to package directions
Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned. Add the peppers, onions, basil, and oregano and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic the last couple minutes.
Add the tomatoes with the juice, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss.
Add the parmesan cheese to taste and serve immediately or pass the Parmesan cheese separately at the table.
Serves 6.

I'm participating in Make It From Scratch, Foodie Fridays, and Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.