Mini Scallops with Spicy Spinach Spaghetti

I love mini scallops. In my opinion, they are absolutely perfect for pairing with pasta because you get a bite of scallop with every twirl! I really wanted to make this dish POP, so instead of using regular spaghetti I used spinach but I decided to give it even more of an edge by adding a habanero pepper to the sauce! This dish is comfort, elegance and heat all in one! Enjoy!

The Sexy Chef Liz's - Mini Scallops with Spicy Spinach Spaghetti

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. mini scallops, fully drained and patted dry
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 habanero pepper,  minced
- 1/2 lb spinach spaghetti
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 6 large fresh basil leaves
- 1 lemon
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
-  salt
- pepper



To Make:
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions, no more than 9 minutes or until al-dente.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, drizzle some olive oil and toast 1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Next add in the onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Next add in the habanero pepper. Mix together. Saute on medium for about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a food processor, add the veggie mixture, the feta cheese and the basil. Turn on the processor and blend until smooth, slowly adding in another tbsp of olive oil.

Remove from the processor, place back into the saute pan and cook on low heat, slowly mixing in the Parmesan cheese.

Lastly, in another medium saute pan, drizzle with olive oil and heat until hot. Add in the mini scallops and cook for 1 minute, 30 seconds on each side. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add directly into the sauce and mix together.

Using tongs, take the cooked pasta directly out of the pasta water and place into the sauce. Gently mix together with tongs.

Serve immediately while hot and enjoy!

Homemade Baked Manicotti

This dish is decadent and really makes your guests (or just you) feel special. The great part is that this dish is one of the easiest to make! Just make some of your favorite sauce and follow this recipe and you're all set!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped
- Sauce (your favorite recipe or My Ultimate Sauce Recipe)
- salt
- olive oil
- Fresh Basil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- pasta machine
- rolling pin

To Make:

Pre-heat oven to 365


clean a large surface and dust with flour. Take 2 cups of flour and arrange in the center. Dig out the middle to form a well with high walls. Crack 3 eggs into the center of the well. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Using a fork, gently begin beating the eggs in the middle and slowly begin incorporating the flour into the eggs. Do not break the well. When the dough begins forming, use your hands to knead the rest of the flour into the mix. Knead for 5-6 minutes, then form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large pan, saute the diced onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil for 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all three cheeses, add in the sauteed garlic, onion and tomato mixture then add the spices: dried oregano, dried basil, garlic power, pepper, season with salt and the crushed red pepper flakes.

Mix well.

Next, set up the pasta machine. Unroll the dough and cut into 4 sections. Roll out with the rolling pin and try to form long rectangles. Cut the dough to make these shapes before passing through the pasta machine. Run the dough through the pasta machine all the way to the last setting. Then cut the long strip in half or in threes depending on how long it comes out.

Continue this process with all the dough until you have several pieces of rectangular shaped pieces roughly 8-10 inches long. 

Place the cheese mixture longways down one side of the pasta. Roll the pasta up and set fold side down. Continue until all is done.

In a large baking dish, arrange a thick layer of sauce on the bottom. Gently place the manicotti in the dish. Spoon sauce over top covering the manicotti. The sauce will cook the pasta in the oven.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 34-40 minutes.

Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Then serve with fresh basil over top.

Creamy Whole Wheat Linguine with Spinach and Sausage

Perfect for lunch or dinner and less than 30 minutes to make. You can also swap meats or veggies but this one is excellent. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
- 3/4 pound whole wheat Linguine
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 cup sausage, diced
- 1 jalapeno diced (seeds removed)
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper


To Make:

Boil water for the pasta and cook according to package directions. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remember to salt the water.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, saute the onions, garlic, sausage and jalapeno pepper in olive oil until tender on medium heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the spinach once the pasta is almost ready. Season liberally with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and garlic powder. Once the pasta is ready, do not drain, spoon directly into the mixture of veggies. Begin mixing together. Add in 1/4 cup extra olive oil. Slowly add in the Parmesan cheese and mix together. Spoon 2 tables spoons of the remaining pasta water into the mix and let cook for 1 minute.

Serve immediately and top with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Spring Pene with Red Peppers and Carrots

I love this dish because it's colorful and fun, just in time for Spring! Even better, it's a meal that you can make in LESS than 20 minutes!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound Pene Pasta
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 carrots, shredded
- olive oil
- Parmesan Cheese
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pene until it's al-dente.

In the meantime, in a deep skillet, drizzle olive oil and cook the peppers, onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until semi-soft on medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the shredded carrots and cook for another 5 minutes or until the pasta is ready. Drain the pasta, DO NOT RINSE and add into the mixture. Add more olive oil over top and add 1 teaspoon of the following: oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper, black pepper and garlic powder. Add in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Cook together for 2-3 minutes and serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Spicy Pene with Subtle Veggies

This meal was something I threw together and it turned out fantastic (as I knew it would.) The flavors are intense yet very comforting and this takes creativity with a typical pasta dish to a new level. I'm not sure if you would normally think of using these ingredients in your dish but I highly recommend you test this out because it's superb! Bon Appetite! (serves 2-4)

Ingredients:
- 3/4 lb. of pene pasta
- 3 celery stalks, washed, chopped
- 1 carrot stick, washed, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 1 small can of plain tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper
- oregano
- 5 fresh basil leaves
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pene according to the package, about 8-9 minutes or until al-dente.

In the meantime in a large saute pan, saute the celery, carrots, onions and garlic in olive oil about 10 minutes until the veggies are just about tender (medium heat). Season with salt and pepper. Add in the small can of tomato sauce and mix together. Fill the can halfway with water and mix to get the remaining bit of sauce and add into the pan.

Season with 1 teaspoon of the following, salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper and garlic powder. Mix together. Add in the Parmesan cheese. Drain the pasta and mix in with the sauce. Chop up the fresh basil and sprinkle over top. Add in another teaspoon of crushed red pepper if desired. Cook for another 2 minutes on medium heat to let the flavors mesh together.

Top with additional Parmesan cheese and basil to serve. Enjoy immediately.

Pico De Gallo Pasta

I've been pretty obsessed with Pico de Gallo lately, so why not put it into pasta? The result? Amazingness.... see for yourself!

Ingredients:
- 5 fresh tomatoes - diced
- 1 small white onion, minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- whole what fusilli
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon feta cheese
- 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese grated
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes

To Make:
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al-dente, about 8-9 minutes.

In the meantime, place diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix ingredients together.

When the pasta is ready, drain the pasta and immediately add into the bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if desired). Lastly, add in the feta cheese and top with the grated pepper jack cheese.

Serve immediately.

Macaroni with Fresh Basil and Carrots

What a teriffic lunch idea! This meal is quick and so light and delicious, it makes the perfect light meal. I came up with this by just using what was most readily available to me in my kitchen. I always make the best creations that way...

Ingredients:

- 1/4 pound large macaroni
- 8 extra large fresh basil leaves
- 1 shredded carrot
- parmesean cheese to top
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil

To Make:

In a medium pot, boil water and cook your macaroni according to the package. Always making sure you keep it "al-dente". Salt the water when it starts to boil.

In the meantime, shred your carrot, wash the fresh basil and rip apart the basil with your hands.

Once your pasta is ready, drain and in a large serving dish, drizzle olive oil in the bottom and dump your drained pasta into the serving dish. Add your carrots on top and salt the top. Start mixing together adding more olive oil and handfuls of basil as you go. Add some parmesan cheese on the top and mix in. Top off with some fresh black pepper, salt to taste and crushed red pepper.

FABULOUS. :-)