Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Sausage

 

We don't eat pasta often at our house, but here I am posting two pasta recipes in a row. They both qualify for my weeknight dinner trifecta: easy, fast, delicious. This one pairs toothy cheese tortellini with chicken sausage in a kicky, creamy sauce. It's not spicy (though you could add red pepper flakes to make it so) but it has a nice flavor due to the fire roasted tomatoes.

Start by sauteing the chicken sausage, then add the onions, garlic, and seasonings. Then add the fire roasted tomatoes (I puree mine because I don't like tomato chunks - do what you like.)

Next comes the half and half, then spinach, 

and finally the tortellini. Don't forget to stir in some Parmesan, too!

Here's the finished dish. Hearty, flavorful, and filling.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Chicken Sausage

1 package (9-12 oz) cheese tortellini
1 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. chicken sausage (Italian or your favorite), sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup half and half
4 cups spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

If you are using shelf stable tortellini (not refrigerated), cook it in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. If you are using refrigerated pasta, you will add it later.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced chicken sausage and saute until golden, stirring often. Add in the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook and stir until the onions are soft. 

Now pour in the tomatoes and cream, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add in the tortellini. If you used shelf stable tortellini and you just cooked it, you only want to let it simmer for a couple minutes to absorb the flavors. If you are using refrigerated tortellini, then cover the pot and let it simmer for 7-8 minutes until the pasta is done.

Add in the chopped spinach and stir until its wilted. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4. 

Pasta "Straw and Hay"

This is my take on a classic pasta dish from Tuscany. It gets its name from the two colors of fettuccine traditionally used - yellow (egg) for straw and green (spinach) for hay. It is combined with cream, peas, and prosciutto. You often see this on a restaurant menu, sometimes made with tortellini in place of the fettuccine. 

But I changed it up a little. I did use multi color pasta, but used what I had - these cute curly little guys. And I used leftover ham instead of prosciutto -- and tried to amp up the nutritional factor and take down the fat content by using a combo of plain yogurt and half and half instead of heavy cream.

It turned out wonderfully! If you have leftover Easter ham, I hope you'll try this. It's really simple, and really delicious. Win win!

Start by cooking your pasta. While that boils, make the sauce. 

Traditional straw and hay pasta doesn't have onions or mushrooms, but hey, this is my version so this is what we have. Saute the mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a little butter, 

then add in the cooked ham and heat it through. Combine the yogurt, half and half, garlic powder and salt and pepper, then add that to the pan. Add in the frozen peas (I use a whole bag cause I love peas and I also don't want that "little bit" languishing in my freezer...) and stir it all up to combine.

Then drain the pasta, reserving some of the water. I do this by straining the pasta over a glass measuring cup til I have about a cup of liquid. Add in the pasta, and enough pasta water to thin the sauce so that it coats all the pasta, but is not too runny. I used about 1/4 cup. Finally add in plenty of Parmesan!

This was perfect with a green salad and a crisp glass of white wine! I will never complain about leftover ham when I can use it in recipes like this. Delicious! 

Pasta "Straw and Hay"

8-10 ounces pasta of choice, either medium curly cue-like shapes or fettuccine

2 Tbsp. butter

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chopped cooked ham

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 - 12 oz. package frozen peas

3-4 ounces shredded Parmesan

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add in cooked ham and stir until heated through. 

Combine yogurt and half and half in a large measuring cup and add in garlic powder and salt and pepper. Add to the pot and stir well to coat the veggies and meat. Stir in the frozen peas.

Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet and enough water (about 1/4 cup) to thin the sauce slightly so that it coats all the pasta. Add the cheese, and stir until it is melted and the sauce is thickened. 

Season with salt and pepper and possibly more garlic powder, to taste.  Serves 4-6.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chicken

This recipe came to being because I had a bunch of things in the fridge (including the odds and ends of a rotisserie chicken that NEEDED to be used up!) that I was just sure would go together - and I was right. I love it when that happens. I bought a big jar of roasted red peppers, so I've been throwing them in various dishes, but in this dish, the roasted red peppers are the stars of the show.

This dinner comes together super quickly - while the pasta boils, you make a quick and easy sauce. Start by sauteing the garlic, then adding the blended roasted red peppers. Make it creamy with a little cream cheese and half and half, then add spinach and chicken! Season to your liking.

Finally toss in the cook pasta, and voila, dinner is ready faster than you can say Door Dash. Seriously. (It's become my mission to show people that you can use simple ingredients to cook a healthy meal quickly and easily, so that you don't have to rely on take out and frozen pizza. It's so much better for your health and your pocketbook, and your family will thank you, I promise.)

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chicken

12 oz. medium sized pasta shapes (penne, rotini, or rigatoni)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup roasted red peppers 
4 cups packed fresh spinach 
3 oz. cream cheese 
1/2 cup half and half 
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or chopped)
1/2 cup feta crumbles
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan 

Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.

For the sauce, in a large skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant.

Blend the roasted red peppers until mostly smooth, then add them to the garlic. Stir in the cream cheese until melted.

Pour in the half and half and stir until smooth and creamy.

Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of chili flakes if you like heat.

Stir in the fresh spinach and cook until wilted. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a splash of reserved pasta water.

Toss in the cooked pasta and mix well. Stir in the shredded Parmesan.

Serve, topping each serving with crumbled feta.
 

Rigatoni Alfredo with Chicken and Kale

 

We love pasta at our house, and I especially love it when it can be loaded with veggies. I also especially love it when it can be made in ONE POT. This is both.

This also fits my weeknight trifecta: delicious, easy, fast. AND it's "fancy" enough to serve to company, too - just add a green salad and some sort of garlicky carb, and you've got a great dinner. (Chocolate lava cakes for dessert, anyone?)

Kale is a veg that is so good for you, but I have to admit it's not my favorite. So when it can get chopped up and then wilted in a dish like this, it's a lot easier to take.

Since I last made this, I've actually figured out that I can tolerate kale a lot better if I chop it super fine in my food processor - here I've just roughly chopped it by hand, which was ok because of the wilting factor. But that's a tip I gladly share with you for salads or other raw appearances of kale - mince it up in the chopper, and it's WAY better!

However you choose to deal with the kale, this is a delicious dish that won hearty approval from everyone around the table - young adults PLUS their friends. So that's a major win in my book.

• 
  
• 
  
• Rigatoni Alfredo with Chicken and Kale
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• ▢

• 3 small chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), diced

• ▢

• 1 small onion, chopped

• ▢

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 8 ounces rigatoni

• 2/3 cup chicken broth

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 3-4 ounces kale, chopped

• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan

• 
  

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes, turning after the first 2 or 4, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

• Add the chopped onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until they turn translucent; then add the garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the pasta, milk, and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 10 minutes at a light simmer.  

• When the pasta is al dente, stir in the cream and the Parmesan, leaving a little cheese for garnish. Add the kale, stir, and cover again and let the kale wilt for 2-3 minutes. Add in the chicken and stir to distribute it through the dish, letting the chicken warm back up. 

• Sprinkle with pepper, parsley and Parmesan before serving. Serves 6.

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta

This has become such a popular dish at our house that it has been requested for two birthday dinners! And it's no wonder - it's everything you want in a celebratory dinner - creamy, colorful, delicious, filling! 

I love that there are lots of veggies included and that it's a one-pot dish (besides the pasta cooking...so 2 pots technically, still easy!). 

I also love that it combines amazing flavors of sausage, peppers, cream sauce... and I would probably add mushrooms, but in my family, that would spoil some people's birthdays... ahem. Seriously, what is not to love about mushrooms?

Mushrooms or not, this is a super delicious dish and worthy of a place in your rotation. I serve it with a big green salad and garlic knots or garlic bread. Even if it's not your birthday, I hope you'll try this pasta!

Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta

12 ounces spaghetti or bucatini

1 pound Italian sausage

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. flour

1 cup half and half

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 cups baby spinach

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove from the pan once it is cooked through.

Add oil to the skillet, then add the peppers and onions. Cook until they are softened, about 5 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to medium, then add the butter and garlic to the peppers and onions. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle with the flour.

Stir in the half and half and mustard, and whisk well to ensure there are no flour lumps. Whisk until slightly thickened, but only for a minute or so.  Add in the sausage and stir together. Add in the spinach, then add a couple tablespoons of the pasta water into the skillet, especially if the sauce seems too thick.

Drain the pasta, then add it to the skillet, tossing until the spinach is wilted and all the pasta is coated. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from Salt and Lavender

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

This is one of the best side dishes I have made in a long time. Well, this, and the roasted potato "salad" that's going to be coming your way next. This is the summer of great sides! 

I made this wonderful salad for our July 4 weekend, and it won rave reviews. My pre-teen nephew gushed, "this tastes just like Chipotle!" If you have pre-teens, you know this is high praise. In fact, that whole dinner that night, which included grilled rubbed pork, garlic green beans, and fruit salad, left us with these empty dishes. 

That's a ringing endorsement!

Another endorsement came from our son, who ate several helpings on his birthday later in July, and who immediately asked for the recipe. So, that should be enough encouragement to get you to make this salad, already!

Corn, pasta, bacon, avocado, black beans, and a creamy, slightly kicky dressing - they all add up to more than the sum of its parts. It is SO good. Cook the bacon, then saute the corn in a dry skillet so that you get it partly "charred." (You could probably also saute it some bacon grease! ooh! up the ante!)

I've only used frozen corn, which is what I'm calling for in the recipe, because it's so convenient, but I bet the flavor factor would be even better if you used corn on the cob, and grilled it first... but even if you go the convenient route like I do, you will be overcome and overwhelmed by how good this is.

While the pasta cooks, chop up all your "greens" - green onion, cilantro, jalapeno.

When the pasta is done, drain it well and add it to a big bowl, then add the corn, bacon, black beans, and your greens.

Stir up the dressing ingredients and add about 3/4 of it to the salad.

Then add the chopped avocado and the rest of the dressing, and lightly stir it to combine.

Top with some queso fresca (Mexican cheese) or even feta, and be prepared to delight yourself and everyone who eats this!

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Salad:

2 cups farfalle, campanelle, or other medium sized pasta shape (dry)

3 cups frozen corn (or freshly cut off the cob)

1/3 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1-2 Tbsp. diced jalapeno pepper

6 sliced bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 cup queso fresco or feta

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. sriracha or chili garlic sauce

salt and pepper

For the dressing, combine the mayo, lime juice, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and hot sauce in a small bowl or medium measuring cup. Stir well, then add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust hot sauce as well to your preference.

For the salad, cook the pasta in salted boiling water til al dente. Drain completely.

Meanwhile, saute the corn in a dry skillet over medium high heat. Put the corn in the skillet, then let it sit for a few minutes to develop a "char" before stirring. Cook for just a minute or so after the char develops. 

When the pasta is done, transfer it to a large bowl, then add the corn, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, bacon, and black beans. Add about 3/4 of the dressing, then stir well to combine. Add the avocado and the rest of the dressing, then fold together til everything is evenly distributed. Top with the queso fresco or feta, and serve! Makes 6-8 side dish servings.

Creamy Gnocchi with Ham and Peas

If you still have ham leftover from Easter like I do, here is the perfect recipe! It is even more perfect if you live in the north like I do, and it's still freezing. I see the green lawns of my friends in the middle of the country, and I am jealous. Mine is still white. :(

But cooking and eating this amazing dish will make you forget it. It's so creamy, and so delicious, and I absolutely love the combination of ham and peas. If you need other ham and pea inspiration, check out Cheesy Ham and Noodle Casserole, Jambalaya, Bowties with Bacon, Carrots and Peas (could easily sub ham!).

This dish comes together really quickly - and it meets my weeknight trifecta - quick, easy, delicious. 

While the gnocchi cooks, you can make the sauce, then throw it all together. It will broil briefly in the oven, which gives you just a few minutes to throw together a salad! Perfect timing.

This is a really comforting dish, and will earn you accolades from your whole family. Or most of it at least. One teenager said, "this is really weird" and luckily another one answered, "this is really GOOD." (The texture of the gnocchi was the issue, please know. Not anything else...)

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you stay warm. Ahem. 

Creamy Gnocchi with Ham and Peas

1 package gnocchi (16 oz to 17.6 oz), prepared according to package directions

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. basil or Italian seasoning
2 cups diced ham
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted, boiling water, as the package directs. 

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and basil. Saute until onion is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle flour on top and saute until flour is absorbed and the flour smell is gone, about 2 minutes. 

Pour in cream and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Remove from the heat, then stir in gnocchi, ham, and peas until combined. Add the swiss cheese and stir until melted. Sprinkle parmesan on top. 

Heat broiler to high, then put the skillet under the broiler until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Love As Food