Lemon, Basil and Feta Pasta

I am very pleased with this new creation. This pasta is simple, yet super delicious. These three flavors are all very distinct and they work extremely well together. You can literally taste the flavors bursting in your mouth. This is a winner every time.





Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs pasta (any variety)
- 12 oz. container of feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 lemon
- fresh basil, 15 leaves, chopped
- olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

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

Drain the pasta and place into a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil and toss together. Add the container of feta cheese and the chopped basil. Zest one teaspoon of lemon zest and add into the mix. Then sqeeze out 1/2 of the lemon, avoiding the seeds.

Toss pasta together and coat everything evenly. Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

Serve immediatly.

Peas and Carrots - they're not just Theater chatter...

Who loves peas and carrots? I certainly do. If you've ever been in a theater production, you'll know that when the cast is supposed to be "pretending to talk" on stage, they are really just mouthing, "Peas and Carrots." It's the best thing to say because it REALLY looks like your saying something so interesting! But enough about the Theater, I love using peas and carrots in my cooking and here is a delicious and quick meal you can throw together in no time that is nutritious and tasty!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound angel hair pasta
- 1 small bag frozen peas and carrots
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- olive oil
- fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according the the package, about 6 minutes or until al-dente.

In the meantime, drizzle olive oil into a large saute pan and saute the diced onion and garlic for about 5 minutes on medium heat until almost cooked. Add in the frozen peas and carrots and drizzle more olive oil over top. Add salt and pepper to taste and crushed red pepper. Stir together and cook also on medium heat about 8 minutes or until the peas and carrots are cooked through. Mix every 2 minutes.

When the pasta is finished, drain immediately and add into the peas and carrots. Drizzle a liberal serving of olive oil over the pasta and mix into the veggies. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese.

Transfer into a large serving bowl.Rip up a handful of fresh basil and drizzle over top. Top with extra Parmesan if desired. Add more salt and pepper to taste and crushed red pepper.

Serve immediately.

Rotini with Red Peppers and Parmesan

We all by now know that I LOVE Pasta (and I'm Italian so go figure) but anyways, I like to create and keep a collection of quick pasta dishes that just use what I have easily on hand in my fridge or pantry. That way, I feel confident that no matter what, when I get the urge for pasta, I know I can take 12 min tops to create the best dish. Check it out...


Ingredients:
- 1/4 pound tri-colored rotini
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- handful fresh basil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- crushed red pepper
- olive oil

To Make:

Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta, about 8 min. in a med. pot. Salt the water. While the water is heating up, dice onion and red pepper and saute in olive oil in a med. pan for about 7 min, until soft and tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and using a large bowl, sprinkle olive oil in the bottom of the serving bowl and dump pasta into the bowl. Stir in the onion and pepper mixture and also the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Season with more salt and pepper and best of all top with crushed red pepper. Serve immediately and ENJOY!!