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Pug and Tater's

From Home With Love

Pasta

Broccoli Risotto

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I love risottos, but they can be time consuming since they require constant stirring. This Broccoli Risotto is kid friendly, but only if you can devote your time to making this and not have to stop every few minutes to attend to your children.

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Broccoli Risotto
Ingredients
  • 6 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Set aside and keep warm.

  2. Add olive oil to a large sauté pan and sauté onion over medium heat for a few minutes until soft.

  3. Add rice, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.

  4. Add 3/4 cup broth at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed, up to 4 1/2 cups.

  5. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed.

  6. Add parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Vegetable Lasagna

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This lasagna has tons of vegetables in it and is easily adaptable. Feel free to include other veggies you prefer or leave out ones you don’t like. Just try to have between 8 – 10 cups of chopped vegetables in it.

This can be made ahead and frozen. Be sure to allow plenty of time for defrosting or the baking time will greatly increase.

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Vegetable Lasagna
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 18 lasagna noodles
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 zucchini cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 squash cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 8 oz. crimini mushrooms sliced
  • 1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers drained and sliced
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 10 oz. package frozen spinach thawed and squeezed to remove water
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese divided
  • 20 oz. mozzarella cheese slices
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
Instructions

  1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and then lay on a sheet of waxed paper.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

  3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms and cook until softened but still have a little crunch, about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Add the roasted red peppers, carrots and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 5-8 minutes. Add the fresh basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, eggs, frozen spinach, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  6. To assemble, spoon about 1 cup of the vegetable mixture to lightly cover the bottom of the baking dish. Lay 6 noodles on top (noodles will overlap slightly).

  7. Spread half the ricotta mixture on noddles and layer with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Top with a third of the vegetable mixture. Add another layer of six noodles, then repeat with ricotta, mozzarella cheese and vegetables. Finish with a layer of noodles, vegetables, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

  8. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes until the cheese is crusty around the edges. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta

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This is an easy weeknight meal to make when you’re short on time. It comes together in the length of time it takes you to boil water and cook the pasta. Sometimes I’ll add sliced mushrooms and saute them with the sun-dried tomatoes. Crushed red pepper is another nice touch, but I add it individually to my plate as my kids don’t appreciate the spice.

I like to use Barilla’s protein plus pasta for this. To make this gluten free, use gluten free flour and gluten free pasta. You can also use vegetable broth to make it a vegetarian dish and in addition, omit the cheese to make it vegan.

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Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. penne
  • 1 8.5 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes julienne cut in oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14.5 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 9 oz fresh spinach
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
  • 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

  2. While the pasta water is heating up, pour the jar of sun-dried tomatoes and the oil into a large saute pan. Cook over medium heat for a couple minutes.

  3. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

  4. Add the flour and stir to mix well with the oil.

  5. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, stirring well to combine. Cook until sauce thickens.

  6. Add spinach in batches and cook until spinach wilts.

  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  8. Put cooked pasta and the sauce together in a large bowl and mix.

  9. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta cheese.

Grilled Summer Vegetables Over Orzo

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This is the only side dish you need to make when grilling steaks, chicken or fish. It makes a lot – 10 to 12 servings. However, I have seen four grown men finish the entire platter along with the rest of their meal before. You can use any grilled vegetables that you like, but this is amazing just the way it is. For extra creamy orzo, double the goat cheese and stir half of it into the orzo before topping with the vegetables.

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Grilled Summer Vegetables Over Orzo
Ingredients
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups orzo
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
  • olive oil
  • 1 large red onion cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 3 yellow squash halved lengthwise
  • 3 zucchini halved lengthwise
  • 4 Roma tomatoes halved and seeded
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, combine the chicken broth, orzo and 2 teaspoons rosemary. Over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

  2. Brush both sides of the onion, squash, zucchini and tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5-10 minutes or until tender, turning the onion, squash and zucchini once. Grill the tomatoes skin side down and do not turn during grilling.

  3. Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces.

  4. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, vinegar and next 4 ingredients. Add the grilled vegetables and gently toss to coat.

  5. Spread the orzo onto a large serving platter. Add the vegetables on top and sprinkle with the goat cheese.

Adapted from Par 3 Tea-Time at the Masters cookbook.