Creamy Garlic Pasta

Adapted from: thecheesepusher.tumblr.com

2 tsp. olive oil

4 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. parsley (recipe called for fresh, but we just used dried. It was still super tasty)

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the butter and allow to melt. Next, add chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Raise to high heat and let it come to a boil. Once stock is a rolling boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reduce heat to medium low; add cheese, stirring until melted. Remove pot completely from heat, then add heavy cream and parsley, mixing until well combined. Serve immediately.

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest. Shocked? Me either. But it's true, and that seems to be quite the trend lately. I have about 1,000 recipes that I want to try on Pinterest alone. Add that to the other recipes on different websites that I have on my "to try" list, and I would probably have to whip up at least 5 a day to knock out my over-zealous recipe list. It's a doable goal if we were millionaires, and we could just stay at home all day and cook. But the reality is that we work. A lot. And it's rare that I have the time, and the energy, to whip up a good meal nowadays. That's what makes THIS recipe so freaking awesome. It is a one pot meal. ONE POT! That's all it takes! This was creamy and delicious. I doubled it, and I thought it may be too much, but it was perfect. We had enough for dinner last night, lunch today, and dinner again tonight. Wise decision for a busy little family like ours :)

Spicy Spaghetti

2 green peppers

2 cans tomato paste

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. basil leaves

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 pkg. pepperoni slices

1 pkg. meatballs

Cut up green peppers and cook in medium pot until soft. Add tomato paste, cooking until color becomes orange, then add crushed tomatoes and stir slowly. Add salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic. Last, add meatballs and pepperoni to sauce. Let simmer for at least one hour.

This recipe may not look like much, but I promise you it is absolutely wonderful. The spiciness of the pepperoni with the flavor of the bell peppers makes for an incredible sauce. Add meatballs to the mix and you have an amazing, hearty meal that can be thrown together in no time. The next time we make this, I would love to try it with onions, because I think onions are wonderful is spaghetti sauce. If you're feeling adventurous, you can always buy whole pepperoni and slice it yourself. Although I love it that way, I prefer just the plain packaged pepperoni. Not only is it delicious in the sauce, it's so much easier to just throw it into the pot!