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!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 Tbsp. olive oil

14 oz. smoked turkey sausage

1.5 cups diced onions

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 cups chicken broth (I used a 14.5 oz can)

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, not drained

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

8 oz. mini farfalle pasta

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, optional

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt, and pepper; stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

I love Pinterest. I love it so much that I wish my job could just be "Pinterest Recipe Tester". Because to be honest, that's probably the only way I would EVER be able to make it through all of the recipes I have pinned. I would be doing good to even try one new recipe a week, to be honest. But between work and life in general, we tend to stick to recipes we know because I've made them so many times that I have them memorized and can just make a grocery list in my head. I originally posted this recipe on July 16, 2013. It was the first time I had made dinner in weeks because I had just turned 8 months pregnant, and I had honestly lost all energy to cook by the time I got home from work every night. The wonderful thing about that post is that we had no idea that our son would be here two days later! He came a month early, but was perfectly healthy. Maybe it was this dish that really got things kickin'! This dish is truly wonderful. I double it because we love it leftover. In fact, we can both have it for dinner, I will take it for lunch the next day, and then we will have it again the next night. I think I calculated it out to be about $2.00 per serving. You can't beat that! Even better? It's a one pot meal! Delicious AND easy?! I'm in!

Mom's Lasagna

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. basil

1 (16 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

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10 oz. lasagna noodles

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 cups cottage cheese

2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced very thin

Brown meat slowly, spoon off excess fat. Add next five ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook noodles according to package directions. In separate bowl, combine parmesan cheese, eggs, pepper, cottage cheese, parsley, and salt. Place half of the cooked noodles on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish; spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, then top with half of the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, putting mozzarella on top about 10-15 minutes before done. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

There is something about lasagna that is so comforting. What I love about the dish is that it is truly so easy to make it into your own creation, and there are so many different versions! I have tried several, but I have to say that my favorite is just the good ol' classic. This recipe has been in my family since before I came along, and it is, to this day, one of the most requested recipes my Mom makes when we all go to Tennessee to visit. To me, this is the best lasagna I've ever had. It may be because I've eaten it for YEARS, but nonetheless, it is delicious! I suggest leaving the crushed tomatoes chunky, instead of mashing them to a pulp, or even getting a can of whole tomatoes and crushing them yourself. Trust me, it's amazing!