Italian Grinder Pasta Salad

Lunches are hard for me. You'd think they'd be easy since I work from hom. But oddly, they are the most difficult for me to plan. Thus I usually end up winging it and that never goes well. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, so those don't always get eaten for lunch the next day (don't worry. I don't toss them. I freeze them for the Pantry Goat).

I saw a reel on Instagram of this woman making a pasta salad for her weeks worth of lunches. She loaded it up with veggies and pasta and protein. And it was an Italian Grinder pasta salad (based off the sandwich). Since I happen to love Italian Grinder sandwiches I thought I'd give this a try. 

The best part about this type of salad is you can either follow it exactly (not likely for me) or toss in what you have (more like me). I had cheese tortellini in the freezer that I thought I'd use instead of cavatappi - a decision I'd make every time. I also had whole black olives hanging out in the fridge from a recipe a week or so ago. In they go. I don't particularly care for cubed turkey so I opted to go (the less healthy route) and popped in some diced pepperoni. Again, another decision I won't regret. 

The way to make this a real salad lunch to me was the romain lettuce. That bulked it up a bit and stopped me from eating only pasta and salamis. 

Another thought I had after lunch was that the dressing - or salad - would do well with some parmesan cheese in it as well. Next time.

Italian Grinder Pasta Salad

Recipe from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 8-10

SALAD

• 1 (16 oz) box cavatappi shaped pasta, cooked and cooled
• 1 ½ cup roughly chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup assorted cherry tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup diced provolone cheese
• ⅓ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers, drained
• ⅓ cup diced salami
• ⅓ cup diced deli-style turkey

DRESSING

• ½ cup mayo
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

In small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.

Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Focaccia Grinder Sandwich

If you've ever shared a meal with me, you already know one thing: I eat my burgers and sandwiches plain. No lettuce, no tomato, no onion—basically no veggies. My philosophy has always been simple: if I wanted a salad, I would have ordered one.

Lately, though, I've been trying to stick to my goal of making recipes as they're written. Sure, recipes are really just guidelines, and I firmly believe every good cook should tweak things to fit their own tastes. But this year I've been making a conscious effort to give recipes a fair shot before putting my own spin on them.

With Seattle turning into a summer sauna this week, I was looking for a dinner that wouldn't require turning on the stove or oven. Technically, this sandwich is supposed to be toasted in the oven before serving. That was an easy pass for me. I'm not a fan of hot sandwiches that turn the lettuce warm and wilted. No thanks. This one was staying completely al fresco.

And let me tell you—I am so glad it did.

This sandwich was absolutely incredible. The combination of crisp lettuce, tangy pepperoncini peppers, and zesty Italian dressing completely made the sandwich. I did add a little mayo to one side of the bread, and that turned out to be a very good decision.

Every bite was crunchy, drippy, messy, and packed with flavor. It was exactly the kind of summer meal I was craving.

I did discover one small issue after I started assembling everything. The deli meat combo pack I bought didn't contain capocollo like the recipe called for—it had prosciutto instead. Honestly, I'm not convinced it mattered. The package also included hot calabrese and dry salami, and I piled them all onto the sandwich. Not a single regret.

Then, as I'm sitting here writing this, I realized something horrifying.

I forgot the pesto.

ARGH!

The sandwich was fantastic without it, but I can only imagine how much that pesto would have elevated everything. Looks like I'll just have to make another one for lunch tomorrow. Tough sacrifice, I know.

Focaccia Grinder Sandwich

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Makes 6 sandwiches

The Sandwich Base:

• 1 loaf of focaccia (I use the Trader Joe’s focaccia with roasted tomato and Parmesan)
• 1/4 cup pesto (refrigerated one from TJ’s)
• 2 ounces uncured calabrese salami (8 slices)
• 2 ounces uncured capocollo (8 slices)
• 4 large slices Provolone cheese

The Salady Part:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded (2–3 cups)
• a quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Italian dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup mayo (optional)

Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice Focaccia: Keeping the focaccia flat, use a serrated knife to cut the focaccia in half horizontally. (You don’t want to tip the bread up because all the toppings will fall off.) Lift the top half of the bread off and set to the side.

Layer Sandwich: Layer the bottom piece of focaccia with pesto. Then layer the salami, capocollo, and Provolone.

Toast Sandwich: Toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes. (Leave the top piece laying to the side so it doesn’t stick to the cheese yet.)

Toss and Layer Greens: In a separate bowl, toss lettuce, red onion, pepperoncini, Italian dressing, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange salad on top of the toasted sandwich. Dollop with a bit of mayo (optional but I love it).

Finish: Press the top part of the focaccia over the sandwich and cut into wedges! WHOA NELLY that’s good. It’s juicy, crispy, salty, dense, and everything I want in a sandwich!

Rigatoni All'amatriciana

It's Italian night here at Chez Jenn's. Then again, if we're being honest, just about any night could qualify as Italian night in my house. Italian food is one of my favorite comfort cuisines, and tonight's menu featured a classic Roman dish: All'Amatriciana (pronounced ah-mah-tree-CHAH-nah).

Before making it, I had to do a little homework on exactly what Amatriciana is. According to my internet deep dive, "Bucatini all'Amatriciana is one of Rome's most iconic pasta dishes. It originated in the town of Amatrice in Italy's Lazio region and is traditionally made with a simple but incredibly flavorful sauce featuring cured pork, tomatoes, and Pecorino Romano cheese."

What I wish I had known before my grocery trip is that it's traditionally served with bucatini pasta. Had I known that, I absolutely would have bought bucatini instead of rigatoni because I love those thick, hollow noodles. Lesson learned for next time.

The good news? This was still a delicious dinner.

I only made one intentional change to the recipe—and it happened because I once again failed to read the entire recipe before starting. (Someday I'll learn.) Out of habit, I added a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Nearly every tomato-based dish I make gets a little Italian seasoning, so I didn't even think twice about it.

Actually, that's not entirely true. I made one more adjustment. After tasting the finished sauce, I noticed a slightly metallic flavor, which is usually my cue that the tomatoes are a bit too acidic. A spoonful of sugar balanced everything beautifully and mellowed the sauce right out.

And that brings me to one of my favorite cooking philosophies: recipes are guidelines, not laws. Sometimes the changes I make aren't just personal preferences—they're corrections for what my taste buds are telling me. If a recipe doesn't quite taste right to you, don't be afraid to adjust it. Add a little seasoning, cut the acidity, increase the spice level, whatever makes the dish work for you.

After all, you're the cook. Your kitchen, your rules.

Rigatoni All'amatriciana

Recipe from Keeping It Simple Italian

Serves 4

• 1 pound Rigatoni
• 28 ounces Canned plum tomatoes
• 6 ounces Guanciale diced
• ½ cup Pecorino Romano divided
• ¼ cup Dry white wine
• ¼ cup Onion finely diced
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt plus more to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In a medium sauce pan, add olive oil and guanciale and cook until crisp.

Now add onion and salt and cook until the onion is translucent.

Add white wine and mix well making sure to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and gently press them down to break them up and stir well.

Reduce heat to low and cover to simmer.

When the pasta water is boiling, add the rigatoni and cook until al dente.

 q

Wen ready, drain pasta and add it to the sauce.

Toss well.

Add ½ of the Romano cheese and toss again.

Serve immediately with the remaining Romano cheese on the side for topping.

Easy Creamy Beef and Shells

Easy was the only requirement tonight. I was this close to giving in and ordering takeout, but I managed to talk myself into making this simple recipe at home instead. How hard could a creamy tomato sauce really be? Not hard at all—this one is about as easy as it gets.

What caught my eye in the recipe was a slightly unexpected ingredient: a teaspoon of chili powder. I’ve spent years cooking, and I can’t remember ever adding chili powder to a tomato sauce that wasn’t meant for chili. It felt a little out of place, but I’ve been trying to stick closer to recipes lately and push my comfort zone a bit.

And honestly? I get it now. You can definitely taste it, but instead of feeling “wrong,” it adds this subtle depth that I wasn’t expecting. It doesn’t scream spice—it just quietly rounds everything out in a really interesting way.

Easy Creamy Beef and Shells

Recipe from Salt & Lavendar

Serves 4

• 8 ounces medium uncooked shells
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
• Salt & pepper to taste

Boil water for your pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat (ok if it browns a little).

Add the beef to the pan and cook it until it's browned, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along (about 5 minutes). If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.

Stir in the garlic and chili powder, then add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Give it a good stir and cook it for 4-5 minutes or so (reduce the heat so it's gently simmering). The sauce should reduce a bit, but don't let it go dry.

Stir in the cream and season with salt & pepper as needed. Let the cream warm through and then toss with the drained pasta shells. Serve immediately.

Meatloaf Parm over Spaghetti Marinara

Photo from Hello Fresh

Chicken Parmesan is one of those "special" meals I order out occasionally. I'm pretty particular about what I want it to taste like so I don't always risk it. 

This recipe interested me because of the "meatloaf" part. What an interesting way to make a spin on the classic. 

It did not disappoint. I over cooked the meatloaf and it was still delicious. And you can't go wrong with basic tomato sauce on your spaghetti. 

This will be repeat meal for sure.

Meatloaf Parm over Spaghetti Marinara
Recipe from Hello Fresh
Serves 2

• ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 10 ounce Ground Beef
• 6 ounce Spaghetti
• 3 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Tuscan Heat Spice
• 14 ounce Marinara Sauce

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

In a small bowl, combine panko, mozzarella, and a large drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine beef, half the panko mixture, half the Tuscan Heat Spice (you’ll use the rest later), and 1 TBSP water; season generously with salt (we used ½ tsp) and pepper.

Form beef mixture into two 1-inch-tall loaves. Flatten tops. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce (you’ll use the rest later) over tops of meatloaves; mound with remaining panko mixture and press gently to adhere.

Bake meatloaves on top rack until beef is cooked through and crust is browned and crispy, 22-28 minutes.

Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.  Reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Heat pot used for pasta over medium-high heat. Add remaining marinara sauce, remaining Tuscan Heat Spice, 1 tsp sugar, and reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes.

Stir drained spaghetti, half the Parmesan, and 1 TBSP butter into pot with sauce until thoroughly coated. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta between plates and top with meatloaves.

Chicken, Bacon & Basil Mayo Sandwiches

I love sandwiches. When I saw this recipe come up I knew it'd be great for dinner and lunch the
following day. 

This recipe did not disappoint. If you love bruschetta, you'll love this sandwich. The balsamic marinated tomatoes really puts this over the top. So good. I'll be ordering this one again. 

What I'll do different though when I do. The flat bread they provided was good size. Two flatbreads took up a full baking sheet. But they only provided three strips of bacon. That is NOT enough bacon in my humble opinion. I felt like I needed just a little more bacon. Although, truth be told, you could leave off the bacon and this recipe would stand on it's own. 

I'd also add more tomato. The package only had one small Roma tomato. regardless of of thin you slice it, that's not that much tomato per sandwich. It needed a little more. 

And last, but not least, I'd grill the chicken next time. You know I can't not grill my chicken. 

Chicken, Bacon & Basil Mayo Sandwiches

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 4 oz bacon, cooked
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 5 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 T Italian Seasoning
• 2 flatbreads
• 1 oz Basil paste (pesto)
• 2 T mayo
• 10 oz chicken

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Heat a large dry pan over medium- high heat. Add bacon; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, 6-10 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Wipe out pan and let cool slightly.

While the bacon is cooking, halve tomato lengthwise and thinly slice into half-moons. Halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot. Peel and mince or grate garlic. 

In a small bowl, combine tomato, shallot, garlic, balsamic vinegar, 1⁄4 tsp sugar [JW note: I did not add this. I wanted the salad more savory than sweet], and a pinch of Italian Seasoning. [JW note: I added about a tsp of olive oil at this stage instead of where it calls for it later. ] Set aside to marinate.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until chicken is about 1⁄2 inch thick. Season with remaining Italian Seasoning, a pinch of salt, and pepper. 

Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for bacon over medium-high heat. [JW Note: I used the bacon grease already in the pan. I  took most out and left about 1/2 tablespoon. ] Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.

While the chicken is cooking, place flatbreads on a baking sheet. Toast on top rack, flipping halfway through, until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; halve crosswise. 

In a second small bowl, combine basil paste and mayonnaise.

Pour balsamic mixture from tomato salad into two small serving bowls. Add 1 tsp olive oil to each bowl; stir to combine. [JW note: This step didn't make sense to me. I just added the tomato mixture to the sandwich. The package only came with a Roma tomato and there isn't really enough for two sandwiches AND left over salad to eat. ]

Spread flatbreads with basil mayo. Fill with bacon, chicken, and as much tomato salad as you like. Close sandwiches and halve crosswise.

Creamy Pesto Parmesan Chicken

Pesto, I find, is either a love or hate food. I am on the love side. BUT...a little bit goes a long way for me. Sometimes recipes call for too much pesto for me. I just adjust.

This was a pretty basic and simple recipe. Good in all areas. It's a quick 30 minutes to make this and you will not be disappointed. 

I put it over pasta and was happy that I made that decision. 

Creamy Pesto Parmesan Chicken

Recipe from Crème De La Crumb

Serves 4

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - pounded to even thickness
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ⅓ cup basil pesto
• ⅓ cup chicken broth
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup shaved or grated parmesan cheese - plus more for topping
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil - for topping (optional)

Grease a large skillet and cook chicken over medium heat 5-8 minutes on each side until browned on the outside and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add garlic and mushrooms to pan and sauté over medium heat until garlic fragrant and mushrooms are tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add pesto to pan and sauté 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir to combine with pesto. Add cream and continue to stir over medium heat until sauce is smooth. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted and combined with sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed, to taste.

Return chicken to pan and toss in the sauce to coat. Sprinkle additional parmesan cheese over the chicken and garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

I'm not one to order spaghetti and meatballs out, and I've not made it but a handful of times. I've been disappointed with most the recipes I've tried. This one did not disappoint. 

I love the smaller meatballs. The texture is better for me for some unexplained reason. These are super flavorful meatballs and I actually got the seasoning right (sometimes I don't salt them enough). 

The tomato sauce I wasn't as big of a fan of. I like my marinara recipe better. I think this one has too much Italian Seasoning for me. And I'm not sure I like the wine in it. 

I ate it and I enjoyed it. I'd make the meatballs again for sure, but would likely use my own marinara recipe. 

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Serves 8

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

• ½ c freshly grated Parmesan
• ⅓ c Panko
• ⅓ c chopped fresh parsley leaves
• ½ c milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ⅓ c dry red wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ c chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 pound spaghetti

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil or coat with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine Parmesan, Panko, parsley, milk, egg, shallot and garlic; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let stand 10 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, add ground beef and ground pork, stirring until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-to-1-1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 36 meatballs.

Place meatballs in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until browned, about 12-15 minutes; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Stir in meatballs; cover and continue to simmer until flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

Serve immediately, topped with meatballs and sauce.

Italian Bean Soup

Photo from Yellow 
Bliss Road

I'm not really sure about this soup. All the ingredients are ingredients I love so it seems like I should love this soup, but it didn't hit quite right. 

Honestly, I think I'm so careful with salt now that this lacked salt. I added some to my bowl after and it wasn't exactly what was missing. At any rate, it was good enough for a meal and will be good enough for lunch tomorrow. 

Actually now that I think about it, I know the problem. I used ground beef instead of ground Italian sausage. That would have made all the difference. Why no Italian sausage you ask? Well, I didn't buy any. I'm really not sure how I missed it, but I did.

Italian Bean Soup

Recipe from Yellow Bliss Road

Serves 6

• Olive oil
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage sweet or spicy
• 1 c diced onion
• ½ c sliced carrots
• ½ c sliced celery
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
• ½ tsp pepper plus more to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounce cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 32 ounces beef broth
• 2-3 T fresh minced parsley
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional

Melt a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion and cook, stirring often, until sausage is fully cooked. Add carrots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning and bay leaf, tomato paste and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Pour in crushed tomatoes, beans and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Discard bay leaf and stir in fresh parsley. Divide into bowls and service, garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti Bolognese

I love Spaghetti Bolognese. It's the menu item I order at any new Italian restaurant to "gage" how good the restaurant is. 

I have a recipe I've used for years. It's modified, slightly, from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Bolognese. I only use ground beef in mine and rarely remember to put red wine in. Still, I love my recipe and make it a couple times a year. 

This recipe seemed the closest to my recipe so I thought I'd give it a try. I had a couple of issues with it. 

First, it had a very metallic, tomato flavor to it. Too tomato-y. I tried to counter it with sugar and brown sugar (even though I already added their brown sugar she recommends).  I was using sugar substitute and brown sugar substitute (low carb) and I wondered if that made a difference. 

Secondly, I'm not a fan of Italian sausage in Bolognese. Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of Italian sausage at all. Small quantities and I'm fine. I think it gave it a nice enough flavor, but I could still taste it. 

Finally, the bacon threw me off. I've never had a Bolognese where bacon is used. It does give it a smokey flavor, but that's not what I'm looking for in Bolognese. I'll keep my bacon in my carbonara thankyouverymuch.

Oh, and this recipe doesn't have any cream in it. Bolognese recipes that I love have heavy cream, half and half, or ricotta added to them. 

Overall, this recipe was "ok". Not worth changing my recipe. If you don't have a favorite Bolognese recipe this one would be fine. 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 6 

• 6 slices smoky bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 carrots finely diced
• 2 celery stalks finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2- 28 oz tomato sauce
• 1- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 beef bouillon cubes
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 T brown sugar *see notes
• 2 large Bay Leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Basil

Heat a large pot on medium high heat and add bacon, cook just until crispy. remove and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

Add onions, carrots and celery and cook just until tender about 5 minutes.

Add in ground beef, sausage and garlic and cook until browned. Drain the fat if needed.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except and bring to a boil, cover then reduce heat and simmer 2 hours

Cook pasta according to the package directions.

Add the spaghetti to the Bolognese sauce and toss until well coated. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

The first time I ever tasted pesto was at TASIS. We had a school chef who made all our meals that was amazing with the pasta sauces. I still dream about his carbonara. His name was Chefy (clever, huh?). He was the typical Italian gangster looking guy to me. Tony Soprano type. Big guy, balding, talked A LOT with his hands. We loved him. I think us kids annoyed the heck out of him, but we loved him all the same. 

He served pesto one day at lunch time shortly after I arrived at the school. I had never had it and really didn't know what it was. One bite and I was hooked. It could have been the special Chefy touch that made it so good, but the creamy, sweet taste of the basil I knew I would never forget. 

I frequently make my own pesto. I make a big vat of it and portion it out into single servings and freeze it. Tonight, sadly, I didn't have any homemade so I improvised and bought bottled pesto. I don't remember the brand I bought, but it was surprisingly flavorful. 

Make this dish. You can't go wrong with cream, pesto and pasta. 

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Recipe from Love From the Oven

Serves 6

• 7 ounces pesto sauce homemade or jarred
• 1 pound penne pasta or other pasta shape
• 1 c heavy cream
• 3 c warm grilled chicken sliced or roughly chopped
• shredded parmesan for garnish optional
• pine nuts for garnish optional

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta.

Prior to draining the pasta, save about ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain pasta well.

Toss pesto sauce with cooked pasta. Add heavy cream and toss again. Add pasta water, a little at a time, to thin the sauce if needed.

Add the chicken and toss to coat. Top with extra parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli

Photo from Taste of Home

I really should have my Slow Cooker ID card revoked. This is recipe #2 this week that literally says "slow cooker" in the title and yet I did not get it together in time for the said slow cooking. 

No matter. I've had this soup in the big Dutch oven for an hour and it'll be fine. As soon as my cheddar bay biscuits are done, dinner's served. 

What I added:

1. I added a tablespoon of tomato paste. I wanted a deeper tomato flavor. 

2. I used vegetable broth because for some dumb reason I'm out of chicken broth. Me thinks it's time for a pantry inventory again. 

3. I didn't put in the pasta. I don't like how pasta soaks up all the liquid when you keep the remaining for the leftover. I know I can cook pasta separately and put it in when serving, but considering I'm having biscuits with it, I thought I could go without.

Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli

Recipe from Taste of Home

Serves 8 (if you have something else with it like a salad) ( and don't want leftovers)

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carton (32 ounces) chicken broth
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 ounces) canneloni beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1-1/2 c finely chopped cabbage
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 T minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 c ditalini or other small pasta
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender; drain.

Transfer to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, cabbage, celery, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender, 7-8 hours.

Stir in pasta. Cover and cook on high until pasta is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Jenn's Kick Ass EASY Bolognese (133 of 150)

Y'all know I love me some pasta. And Bolognese is my favorite. It's what I order almost every time we're trying a new Italian restaurant. It's my litmus test. 

I make a pretty killer Bolognese currently. It takes hours, and frankly, I don't always have hours. Mine is basically Tyler Florence's Bolognese. I have made a few modifications, but it's close. 

I had a jar of Rao's Marinara in my pantry, from when I don't know. I figured it was time to use it. I don't like jarred marinara ... ever. So I was confused why I had it. I suspect someone suggested it and I thought I'd try it. And you know what, it's delicious. It doesn't have that chemically taste jarred sauces often have. 

So I had to add to it. I wanted Bolognese, not just straight marinara. This recipe turned out amazing. And yes, I'm calling it a recipe. Just because it's simple doesn't mean it's not new and, oh yah, DELICIOUS!

Jenn's Kick Ass EASY Bolognese

Recipe from Jenn

Makes enough sauce for at least 4 people. 

124 oz jar Rao's Marinara (here's a link to it on Amazon, but you can get it at any grocery store.)

1 box favorite pasta (I used penne tonight)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 lb ground beef (I used 90/10)

2 T tomato paste

1/2 c heavy cream (or half and half)

Saute your onion until it's translucent. Add in your ground beef and brown. Once it's browned, add in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook slightly. 

Once the tomato sauce has mixed thoroughly with the beef, add in the whole jar of Rao's. I also added about 1/2 jar of water to "clean" out the jar. It's not necessary, but it'll loosen the sauce a bit. 

Cook your pasta. 

I simmered the marinara for about 20 minutes on very low, uncovered. I took it off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes, while I got my water boiling. 

Cook the pasta and drain. Right before you serve the marinara, add the heavy cream and stir. 

I usually mix my bolognese with the pasta. Doing that reheats it. 

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce (90 of 150)

Photo from
Love Bakes Good Cakes

You know I love a good Bolognese. I mean what's not to like? Meat, tomato, cream. Yum. A good Bolognese cooks all day in my opinion. My go to Bolognese is from Tyler Florence and it's what I make when I want Bolognese. 

But on occasion I don't want to deal with the Bolognese recipe. But I still want a hearty meat sauce. I've made another crock pot spaghetti sauce that was amazing. It's my go to when I don't want to watch a pot all day. 

This recipe was delicious too. It was so simple to throw together and let it sit all day. By 1pm this house smelled amazing. Pantry Goat was over for dinner and I figured this is a great recipe to send her home with leftovers. She does love my leftovers. 

This is also a great recipe to clean out your pantry with. I think most of us have diced tomatoes and other canned tomatoes in our pantry. I only had to buy spaghetti to make this meal. 

It's a simple recipe that requires no fuss. Make it. You'll be glad you did. 

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Recipe from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Serves 6 (really I think it could serve 8 easily)

• 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes or Italian tomatoes
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 T dried basil
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb of spaghetti or any other pasta

Cook ground beef in skillet until almost done. Add onions and cook completely until beef is done and onions are soft.

Add the beef mixture to the slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Serve immediately with cooked pasta of your choice.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Lover's Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce (Recipe 33 of 150)

I have had many, many tomato based cream sauces over pasta. You'd think they'd all taste the same, but they never do. A classic tomato cream sauce is always a favorite of mine. So simple, and often so delicious. 

Tomato cream sauce is not difficult to make. It is a basic staple that most cooks learn and master. I've made many myself. Most are ok, edible, but write home to your Italian grandma worthy.

If I had an Italian grandma, I'd write home to her about this recipe. Unbelievably delicious. THIS recipe is definitely making it to the favorites list. I'm going to keep this one close.

I made a few modifications; naturally. I did because it's what I had in my pantry. See notes below.

Also, keep in mind I cut this recipe in half and it easily made enough to serve 4-6 with a lb of pasta.

Lover's Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Recipe from Modern Honey

Serves 6

• 2 T extra virgin olive oil or any oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves; finely diced
• (1) 28-ounce can diced tomatoes [JW: I used a can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes]
• ¼ c tomato paste
• 1 c chicken broth
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• [JW: I added about a tsp of oregano]
• 1 c heavy cream
• ¼ c fresh basil torn or cut into ribbons [JW" Oops...missed this step]
• 1 c parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. pasta of choice

In large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until softened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth. If using whole plum tomatoes, break up with back of spoon or in blender. Stir in red chili flakes, salt and pepper.

Let simmer for 15 minutes (or longer if time allows).

Meanwhile, boil water for pasta. Once boiling, cook according to package instructions.

Stir in heavy cream.

Toss with with cooked pasta. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Chopped Italian Salad (23 of 150)

This is the second dish I brought to Sunday dinner tonight. The first being bread that was delicious. I rarely get to bring salads to Sunday dinner, so I figured since it was at the Pantry Goat's house it was a perfect time to do just that. 

I used this Chopped Italian Keto Antipasto Salad from Wholesome Yum as the inspiration for my salad. 

My version of this recipe turned out pretty good. In fact I have leftover ingredients that it may be lunch tomorrow.

Chopped Italian Salad

Made up by me

Serves 6

8 oz Hard Salami (chopped)

8 oz Fresh mozzarella balls - I used the small pearl size balls

2 c Grape tomatoes (halved)

1/2 c Kalamata olives

6 c chopped romaine lettuce

Dress with Olive Garden Italian dressing.

In a large bowl, mix it all together.

Jenn's Kick Ass Chicken Scaloppini

This is NOT a new recipe. In fact, it's far from new. I've made this recipe at least 20 times since I first made in in 2011. I'm reposting because every time I make it I tweak it a little bit more. And tonight I have that perfect combination that created to most delicious chicken scaloppini I've ever made. 

This recipe is NOT Rachael Ray's recipe. If you want that go here (Or the link above which is the same recipe).

No, this is Jenn's Kick Ass Chicken Scaloppini. Period. 

Jenn's Kick Ass Chicken Scaloppini

Serves 4

• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 3 T olive oil, divided
• 6 slices pancetta, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 T butter, cut into pieces
• 5 button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 pound chicken, cut into bite sizes pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c half and half
• 16 pitted, large green olives w/ pimientos, chopped
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls

Place pasta water on to boil and cook linguini 8 minutes, to al dente in salted water. Drain and reserve. 

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the pancetta. Cook pancetta until its just about crispy. Don't look away. It'll go from almost crispy to burnt in no time. Take it out of the pan and set aside. 

Add more olive oil and 1 T butter, add onions and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook together with the onions 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. 

Remove from the pan with the pancetta.  Don't season this with salt. The pancetta adds plenty of salt to the dish.

Add another T of olive oil. Drop in the chicken and stir fry until brown and almost cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the pancetta, onions and mushrooms back to the pan. Add wine to the pan. Cook wine down to evaporate the alcohol about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the half and half and let it cook until it thickens. Keep stirring it so you don't scold the half and half.  Stir in olives. 

Add the spaghetti to this and toss. Serve with grated parmesan cheese over it.

Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce (Recipe 91 of 150)

This recipe could easily be called "Pasta a la Ben". My friend Ben is moving to Tucson and as such he cleaned out his fridge. I came home with some amazing stuff to cook with. One was about 4 THOUSAND gallons of Kirkland Pesto. It's good pesto to be sure. The second thing I came home with is a nice block of Pecorino Romano cheese. The good stuff. 

Thinking about the Pantry Goat I decided to see what I could cook this week with ingredients I already have on hand. This recipe came to mind immediately. 

Store bought pesto is often lacking in flavor if you ask me. Homemade is always better. But sometimes you don't have time and/or it's not the right time of year to get good basil.  So, in a pinch - store bought. Kirkland (Costco's brand) Pesto is quite good actually. Probably one of the best I've had. And it freezes well. I'm just saying. In case you have 4 THOUSAND gallons of it. 

I added about 1/4 c heavy cream to my dish. Only because I thought it was in the recipe and only now as I type this I realize it was not. It's a nice add frankly. 

I also used orecchiette pasta because it's what I had. I think it was almost better because sauce got caught in the little "ears" of the pasta. 

Bottom line: The title sounds complicated, but it's an easy and tasty recipe that you could easily make on any week night. 

Chicken Pesto Pasta in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Recipe from What's In the Pan

Serves 4

Main Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil (divided)
• 2 T butter (divided)
• 1 lb boneless, skinless thin chicken breasts, or tenders (cut up in 1 inch chunks)
• 10 oz white mushrooms (thickly sliced)
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• salt and pepper

Pesto White Wine Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ c chicken broth
• ½ c white wine
• ½ c basil pesto
• ½ c Parmesan cheese shredded
• ½ tsp salt
• chopped fresh basil (for garnish)

Pasta:

10 oz fettuccine pasta

Cooking chicken:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken chunks to the hot skillet, generously season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning right in the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on one side, flip once and cook for 2 additional minutes on the other side.

In order to not overcrowd the pan I cooked chicken in 2 rounds (this avoids overs-teaming it and ensures proper browning). Because the pan will be hotter on the second round, reduce cooking time for chicken to 2 minutes per side. Add a splash of olive oil to the second round of cooking chicken. Remove cooked chicken from skillet after each round.

Cooking mushrooms:

Add second tablespoon of olive oil and second tablespoon of butter to the now empty skillet. Once the pan is hot, add sliced mushrooms, generously season them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning right in the skillet.

Cook the mushrooms on medium high heat without flipping for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms release liquid and get soft. Pressing down with spatula will speed up the process. Flip to the other side and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove mushrooms from skillet.

Pesto White Wine Parmesan Sauce:

Add minced garlic to the now empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ cup wine and cook on medium for 2 minutes to reduce wine.

Now add ½ cup basil pesto and ½ cup chicken broth. On medium heat, mix everything to combine. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the sauce reduces.

Reduce the heat and add salt and ½ cup of shredded Parmesan. Slowly mix it in until it's evenly incorporated with the sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pasta: 

In the meantime bring a large pot of salty water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions.

Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.

Putting it all together:

Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce, and stir until pasta is fully coated in sauce.

Add chicken and mushrooms. Mix with pasta and sauce. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Bacon Ranch Garlic Parmesan Pasta (Recipe 120 of 125)

Oh boy was this a good dish. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I mostly did it by the recipe, but I didn't cook the pasta in the pot as a one pot. It never turns out. 

So I modified this every so slightly. I cooked the pastas separate. The rest I mostly followed, but just realized I used a full ranch packet instead of 1 T of ranch. Really made the ranchy flavor stand out. 

Bacon Ranch Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Recipe from Thesaltymarshmallow.com

Serves 4

• 6 Slices Bacon, Diced
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 T Butter
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 c Chicken Broth
• 1 ¼ c Milk
• 8 Ounces Spaghetti
• ½ tsp Pepper
• ½ c Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ c Sour Cream
• 1 T Ranch Seasoning Mix
• Parsley for serving

Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Wipe excess grease from skillet.

Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet.

Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring frequently.

Stir in the chicken broth, milk, spaghetti, and pepper.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked through.

Stir in the reserved bacon, parmesan, sour cream, and ranch seasoning.

Top with parsley as desired.

Creamy Orecchiette with Spinach and Prosciutto (Recipe 43 of 125)

Tonight was another "virtual" dinners with friends Paul and Suzanna. You remember right? Where we send each other one of our favorite recipes. We make the recipe then FaceTime and have dinner. It's always fun and we always end up talking for at least a couple of hours. 

Tonight Paul made my the Brown Sugar Bourbon Steak Tips. It sounded like a success for him. His recipe to me was this yummy, creamy, pasta-y goodness. 

First let me say, I RARELY like cooked spinach. I've learned, though, if I chop the spinach up (like julienne it) then I'm ok with it cooked. Less slimey. 

The other is I accidentally bought pancetta instead of prosciutto. Turns out pancetta was just fine. This could be a very versatile recipe. Paul, for example, does cheese tortellini instead of orecchiette. That would be brilliant in this recipe.

I will make this recipe again. In fact, I may make it for people! Like family or the Pantry Goat. 

The big surprise in this recipe, to me, was the lemon zest. That little tsp of lemon zest adds a nice back ground lemon flavor that is so refreshing.

Creamy Orecchiette with Spinach and Prosciutto
Recipe from FineDining (and from my friend Paul)

Serves 4 

Kosher salt

3/4 lb. dried orecchiette or medium shells

8 oz. baby spinach leaves (about 8 lightly packed cups)

1/2 c mascarpone

2 oz. coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup using a box grater)

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 oz prosciutto (about 4 thin slices), coarsely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Gently stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, a few seconds. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta and spinach.

Return the pot to the stove over low heat, add the mascarpone, Parmigiano, and lemon zest and cook until the mascarpone has melted, about 1 minute. Add the pasta, spinach, reserved pasta water, and the prosciutto and toss gently. Season to taste with pepper and serve.