I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

pasta

Lemony Pasta Salad with Artichokes and Chickpeas

This vegetarian pasta salad comes together quickly but that speed doesn’t mean it’s lacking flavor. It’s full of flavor from lemony dressing and the vegetables and cheese. You’ll be hooked on this Lemony Pasta Salad with Artichokes and Chickpeas.

I know summer just started, but it has felt like summer has been going on for the past few months because it’s so damn hot here in Florida.

There are days when I feel like I am melting, but I really do love it.

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Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Summertime Pasta- A simple pasta dish with sauteed shrimp, corn, tomatoes, and zucchini. Highlighting the best that summer has to offer in a bowl of pasta.

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This is a great simple pasta dinner can come together in about 20 minutes. It features fresh corn, tomatoes, and zucchini that is sauteed together with big plump shrimp. Delish!

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Fusilli with Fresh Corn and Chicken in a Garlic Cream Sauce- SRC

Fusilli with Fresh Corn and Chicken in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Holy cow.

You guys this recipe knocked my socks off.

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And then the dog ate them. Just kidding! He only eats the baby’s socks. And thankfully it’s summer so we’re going barefoot now. woohoo!

This recipe is simple but it hits all the right notes.

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Since getting this month’s Secret Recipe Club assignment I’ve made this twice. Making a recipe again when I don’t have to is big. Especially in such a short period of time! But when you find something you love you go with it. And I loved Mary Kay’s blog called Homemade Cravings. Seriously, I had some cravings after I checked out her blog.

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Check these out…  Mini Layer Nacho Bites, Panera Autumn Squash Soup, Cream Cheese and Caramel Frost Apple Cupcakes.  See, she has great taste! Check out her Pinterest account too. She pins some great dishes as well. yum!

Since I made this twice I made some alterations the second time around. Nothing too drastic but just a few things to make it my own. I increased the amount of chicken to the recipe to add more protein and increase the amount of servings this pasta dish made. (hello leftovers!) As well, I increased the amount of sauce that is made since I loved it the first time I made it so I had to have more!

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It’s quick to get all of this together but my tip to you is how to get the kernels off the corn cobs easily and neatly. Take a big pan and put an upside down bowl in the middle of it. That is going to be your pedestal where you hold up your corn, bottom side down. Then you run your knife down the side of the corn, allowing the kernels to fall off into the pan.

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Be sure to use all the great fresh corn you have at your finger tips this summer when you are making this great pasta dish. Yum! I bet this would also be great with some fresh zucchini as well.

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Fusilli with Fresh Corn and Chicken in a Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Fusilli (Rontini works well too)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2  pounds chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 ears of fresh corn on the cob, kernels cut off
  • 3/4 Cup half and half
  • 1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley, minced
  • Salt and Pepper

Process

  1. Cook the fusilli according to instructions on package. Reserve 1 Cup of the pasta water.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken and then move to the outer edges of the skillet.
  3. Add the garlic to the center of the skillet and saute for a minute.
  4.  Add the corn kernels to the skillet. Mix everything together and cook for another 4-5 minutes until tender, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
  5. Add the cup of pasta water, half and half, and the cheese. Allow to come to a low boil.
  6. Remove from heat and toss with the drained fusilli until all pasta is evenly coated. Toss with the minced parsley.

Adapted from Homemade Cravings

 

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Secret Recipe Club

There are so many other great posts out today. Be sure to check them out on the link below:

As well, check out my 2 years of Secret Recipe Club posts!!!!

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

This Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake is a delicious vegetarian pasta casserole that will have you begging for seconds. The artichokes and spinach pack a flavor punch and the buttery crumb topping is the perfect finishing touch. 

 

I do this every year to myself. 

I think this process is like giving birth. Or at least I am going to compare it to that for this analogy. Just go along…

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Perfect Penne alla Vodka

Perfect Penne alla Vodka will be on your table in under 30 minutes tonight. Create this flavorful dinner any night of the week. You’ll love every single bite.

Post Originally from 12/18/12, Pictures updated 2/21/19

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

I always felt that ordering Penne alla Vodka was a big fancy move when I was out to dinner. It just felt so fancy to me. Alla Vodka. That sounded fancy when I was 15 or so. Plus, vodka… hello… it felt like it was a big deal to get it, even with all the alcohol cooking out of it. 

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Dinner in 20: Pasta with Veggies and Cream Sauce

I have not been the mood to do anything lately. Well, that is not true. I want to scrapbook all day, every day. I just don’t feel right not being able to be creative. Thinking about how far behind I am working on Project Life makes me want to break out in hives. I left off at week 12… it is now week 26. kill me. And no, I don’t have to continue, but I want to. When I work at it I feel good, I really enjoy it. So I just need to get set up for it, and find some time, and I’ll feel like myself again.

 

 

Being so disinterested in cooking I have been gravitating towards quick fix dinners. Salads have been gracing our table a lot lately but this Pasta with Veggies and Cream Sauce dish was a big winner. I had just restocked the fridge and pantry from moving so I didn’t have to run out last minute to grab something. I love when that happens. I also love Philadelphia Cooking Cream. We use a lot of this to add to pasta dishes, casseroles, or on eggs. It adds a lot of flavor to dishes easily. I’m not singing their praises because they are sponsoring me, I just really like the cooking creams. Man I would love to be sponsored by them, that would be so cool since we go through so much of this stuff. Ha!

Pasta with Veggies and Cream Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients

Process

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to directions for al dente pasta.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, saute the red pepper and mushrooms together in the olive oil. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Add the cooking cream to the vegetables and mix together until fully incorporated.
  4. Add the cooking cream onto the pasta when you serve it.

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive. 

Pasta with Sauteed Spinach and a Yolk on Top

A simple pasta dish that combines the bright fresh flavors of spinach with the richness of a runny yolk, topped with toasted breadcrumbs for the perfect bite!

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post from 1/15/11, pictures updated 11/4/16

I have a big thing for eggs.

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I love them in just about every way they are prepared. They make a base or even addition to a meal. I often have breakfast for dinner.

My friend makes the best yellow rice with pigeon peas and whenever she shares it with me, I top my plate of rice off with fried egg(s) and a lot of hot sauce. I love egg drop soup. Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwiches give me life. I could go on and on…

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One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is in pasta.

I have seen simple versions carbonara with raw eggs on top which just look so gorgeous. So I gave it a try and I have been hooked on it since.

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While pasta with carbonara sauce is great, I find that the way I like it best is with spinach and eggs. I sure do love my bacon but I love freshly sauteed spinach with pasta. Plus, this makes this a lighter dish.

But when you have an egg yolk sitting on top of a bed pasta things entirely transform. You gently pierce this egg yolk, allowing it to slip its way through the fine strands of pasta. The egg yolk graciously coats the hot pasta changing it from a simple pasta with spinach to a really good, simple dinner.

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I tend to make this when I am eating dinner solo since it is a quick and cheap dish to whip up. Pasta is a great dish when you want to make something quick, but you should make is extra beautiful and the egg on top does that. Trust me.

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Now, eating raw eggs should be done with care as there always is a risk of eating meat and eggs that are not fully cooked. I tend to prefer my burgers medium-rare so I am unphased with topping off my pasta with a raw egg since I always approach this with care.  I use really fresh eggs from brands I trust and respect. But, even then using pasteurized eggs is the best approach.

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Give this a try and you’ll be asking for seconds in no time!

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Pasta with Sauteed Spinach and a Yolk on Top

Make 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound of spaghetti pasta
  • 1/4 Cup of olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flake
  • 1 Pound of baby spinach
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 Cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 6 eggs yolks
  • grated Parmesan cheese

Process

  1. Cook pasta until it is al dente.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in garlic and crushed red pepper flake. Heat until garlic is golden and perfumes the air.
  3. Add in spinach, salt, and pepper, and remove from heat. The heat from the pan will wilt the spinach down enough.
  4. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup water.
  5. Add the water, pasta water, and 2 Tablespoons butter to the spinach, place back on heat for a minute.
  6. While the pasta is finishing, in another skillet over medium heat, combine the breadcrumbs and remaining butter. Mix well while toasting the breadcrumbs.
  7. Divide pasta into 6 bowls. Sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs.
  8. Separate the yolks from the whites for all eggs. Place 1 egg yolk onto each serving and then top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.