Chicken Philly Pasta

I can’t believe it’s almost July, and the temperatures are rising in California, where I live. So am always looking for easy, quick recipes that get me out of the kitchen fast.

Seriously, this  Chicken Philly Pasta  is what  dreams are made of. quick, easy, and delicious it’s a meal the whole family loves. And it’s ready in less than 30 minutes.

We need recipes like this, that don’t take hours to prepare and the whole family loves. This creamy, cheesy meal has ingredients even picky eaters will like. Who doesn’t like cream and cheese?

Another great thing about this recipe, it uses  few ingredients you probably have in your kitchen, and the best part it’s made in one pan. It’s a quick and easy recipe that doesn’t have to be saved for special occasions, it’s a prefect meal any night of the night.

It comes together in 30 minutes, doesn’t use ingredients you can’t pronounce,  let alone know what they are and my favorite way of cooking it’s make all in one pan YIPEEEE!!!!

Customize Chicken Philly Pasta

You can customize this Chicken Philly Pasta recipe to make it your own, by changing the protein and your choice of pasta. If possible try to use ingredients you have on hand in different recipes.

In my kitchen I use the same ingredients in many different recipes. It saves trips to the store and cuts down on waste. For instance, this pasta dish uses the same ingredients I would use to make a chicken Philly sandwich or a Philly style pizza, cooking this way makes meal easier.

If you keep following  along pretty soon you wouldn’t be looking at recipes as often. You’ll easily be able to add, change or subtract ingredients to fit your lifestyle and taste.

This recipe works well with shrimp too. If you use shrimp saute them 3 minutes per side them remove them from pan to prevent overcooking, adding them back in at the end just to heat through. And of course you can use steak and made it a true Philly steak pasta.

Whatever ingredients you use keep it simple and fresh, and remember in one pan cooking the saute pan needs to be deep enough to hold the pasta. one pan of this size is all you need. This is the one I use from Target, it’s the prefect size for one pan cooking and not too expensive.

One more good thing about this recipe, it stay’s fresh in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, for quick meal reheats and it’s freezer friendly for ready made meals.

Let me know if you made this recipe. Please leave me a  comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram. I love hearing from you, it’s my favorite part!!!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs. gemille shaped pasta
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons each butter and olive oil
• 1 red cubed bell pepper
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbs. each chopped Italian parsley, basil, and thyme

Instruction

• Heat oil and butter  add onion and garlic saute until tender
• Add peppers and mushrooms saute until crisp tender about 5 minutes Push to one side of saute pan
• Add chicken brown on both sides remove from skillet
• Add heavy whipping cream, chicken stock, water and pasta
• Simmer until thickens about 10 minutes
• Add spinach and parmesan Simmer 5 minutes more……. Enjoy!!!!

Baked Pasta Florentine

Nothing is better than this Gemille shaped baked pasta casserole, smothered in creamy, cheesy bechamel sauce.

It really is one of those pasta recipes that you’ll want to make often. Not only is it easy and delicious it’s a pasta dish prefect for busy weeknight dinners or makes a great make ahead  meal when you want to feed a crowd.

I love casserole pasta bakes, there easy if you want a hands free dinner and they’re freezer friendly for ready made meals.

Growing up in the hills of Tuscany any baked pasta was my favorite. My Mom’s pasta bakes were simple and delicious. This dish brings back memories, from when I was a kidhanging around the kitchen counter, tasting whatever Mom was cooking.

No offense Mom, but I’ve gourmet it up a bit. I love my creamy, cheese filled, bechamel smothered  casserole, a little more than Mom’s. Sometimes you have to put a new twist on an old classic, to fit your lifestyle and taste. I kick up a notch by using Bechamel sauce instead of Moms’ classic marinara sauce.

How to make the Sauce for baked pasta Florentine

The cheesy sauce for this baked pasta florentine is basically a glorified Bechamel sauce, traditionally bechamel sauce is a mixture of milk. flour and butter.

This recipe started like that with butter, flour and milk  than I added  the cheeses. Bechamel sauce is not difficult to make, but you do need to pay attention,for  success don’t leave the stove unattended, the sauce burns quickly. Stir continuously while sauce is simmering. If the sauce is too thick add more milk, if too thin coat one pad of butter with flour and drop it in sauce while simmering. Add the cheeses after the sauce thickens a bit.

There never seems to be any left overs, but if there are you can freeze it for a ready made meal prefect for a hurry-up dinner for unexpected guest.

All you need is a casserole dish, 45 minutes, a prep plan and you can feed as many people as you need to, I like to use this it’s big enough for 6  portion,

and the white color looks pretty on almost any table ant goes from oven to table to freeze, to dish washer.

13 x 9 covered white casserole dishJust be sure to use a casserole dish that goes from oven to table, to limit the pots and pans in the sink.

The extra bonus with casserole meals, your quest can serve themselves, set out these pretty dinner napkins  to set a festive mood and serve this pasta bake with a simple salad and crusty bread for a special dinner everyone will love.

If you make this  baked past Florentine ,   please be sure to leave me a comment, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Above all I love hearing from you guys, and do my best to respond.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs Gemille shaped pasta
• 3 cups chopped spinach
• 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons each butter and olive oil
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups  milk
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 slices chopped prosciutto
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375
•  Cook pasta el dente
• Heat the olive oil in a deep saute pan
• Add onion and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
• Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic
• Slowly whisk in milk, chicken stock, salt, pepper and nutmeg
• Add in all the cheeses saving 1/4 cup of each for topping
• Add sun dried tomatoes and Simmer on low heat 10 minutes stir to prevent browning
• Add chopped spinach  pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish Top with the resevered cheeses and chopped proscuitto
• Bake in a 375 degree oven until golden and bubbly about 30 minutes…….ENJOY

One Pan Spaghetti Primavera

This One Pan Spaghetti Permavera is a prefect definition of a comforting family meal everyone will love. It’s a beautiful, vegetarian delicious pasta bowl of  mushroom, asparagus,broccoli, and tomatoes tossed in a delicious creamy sauce full of Italian flavors,  It’s a easy recipe that comes together in less than 30 minutes and the best part you only need one pan.

In case you haven’t notice I love pasta. It’s my favorite go to ingredient, when am stuck for dinner ideas it’s pasta to the rescue.  Italians truly love pasta so much so that it ranks first pasta consumption, with Americans close behind. Really what’s not to love? Pasta is versatile, quick, easy, delicious.  And with all the shapes and flavors you could have pasta often without repeating the same meal for awhile.

I love one pan meals just about as much as pasta, put those two things together and it’s a Win-Win. Add to that that it’s a vegetarian meal, prefect any night of the week, even Saturday night dinner with friends.

Three Tips when making One pan Spaghetti Primavera

Number one…..if the sauce is too liquid coat a pat of butter with flour and trow it into the sauce to thicken it more. if it’s too dry add more liquid. another tip if you want crisper vegetables you can add them in stages depending on your taste. Also important is the size saute pan you use when cooking pasta in one pan meals.

This is were size matters, you can find my favorite large saute pan here. A well functioning  kitchen should at the very least have three different size saute pans large, medium and small.

One more thing add salt and pepper to the vegetables in the saute pan,  salt brings out the flavor in food,  but use it sparsely you can add more to adjust flavors according to your taste.

This is a great satisfying  vegetarian  pasta recipe if you make it please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I love hearing from you, that’s my favorite part!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. spaghetti
• 1/2 lb. broccoli florets
• 2 cups trimmed asparagus
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 Tablespoons each Italian Parsley, basil and thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large deep saute pan heat the oil to medium
2. Add the onion and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
3. Add The water or vegetable stock and cream
4. Break the spaghetti in half and add to the pan
5. Add the broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus salt and pepper to taste
6. Simmer covered 10 minutes
7. Add the parmesan cheese and herbs simmer 5 minutes  longer
8. Mix well  top with more parmesan cheese and herbs

Shrimp and Broccoli Penne Pasta

This Shrimp  and Broccoli Penne pasta can be on your table in less then thirty minutes, and it’s perfect for last minute dinner or when unexpected company is coming.

I have made a lot of pasta dishes in my life,  in the restaurants  and in my home kitchen, this is definitely up there in my favorites list, it’s healthy and easy to make.

This recipe takes as long to cook as it takes to boil the pasta, The cheesy sauce is a restaurant quality Mac N Cheese. The key to making this not your average cheesy pasta is using three different kinds of cheese and adding broccoli, spinach and jumbo shrimp.

Things to know about this Shrimp and Broccoli Penne Pasta recipe

Like most of my recipes this Shrimp Broccoli Penne is customizable to fit your lifestyle and taste. If you don’t like shrimp you can use chicken, if using chicken leave  the chicken in the pan to simmer along with the sauce. I used whole milk for a creamer sauce, you don’t have to, low fat works. I don’t recommend  using nonfat. You can also change up the broccoli and spinach or leave it out and add something else, like mushrooms.

My family likes penne rigata pasta so that’s what I used in this recipe. plus I like the way the cheesy sauce hangs on to  lines in the pasta. (Penne rigata is penne shaped pasta with lines).

Use whatever short shape you like. It’s also a good idea to get in the habit of reserving a cup or two of pasta water. Pasta water is the magic ingredient to change the consistency of your pasta sauce, without adding more milk or cream.

If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I love hearing for you!!!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Penne pasta
• 1 cup each shredded sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and  mozzarella
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 stick of butter
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb. large shrimp
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 cup each shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tb’s. chopped garlic
• 1 Tablespoon each Italian parsley and thyme
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. In a saute pan heat the oil and butter
3. Salt and Saute the shrimp just until cooked through  3 to 5 minutes remove
4. Add chopped onions and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
5. Whisk flour, milk, nutmeg  salt and pepper together until smooth
6. Add to saute pan
7. Add cheese simmer for 10 minutes
8. Add broccoli and spinach
9. Simmer 10 more minutes or until sauce is thicken
10. Return shrimp to sauce heat through
11. Add drained pasta toss to blend

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Penne pasta
• 1 cup each shredded sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and  mozzarella
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 stick of butter
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lbs large shrimp
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 cup each shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tb’s. chopped garlic
• 1 Tablespoon each Italian parsley and thyme
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. In a saute pan heat the oil and butter
3. Salt and Saute the shrimp just until cooked through  3 to 5 minutes remove
4. Add chopped onions and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
5. Whisk flour, milk, nutmeg  salt and pepper together until smooth
6. Add to saute pan
7. Add cheese simmer for 10 minutes
8. Add broccoli and spinach
9. Simmer 10 more minutes or until sauce is thicken
10. Return shrimp to sauce heat through
11. Add drained pasta toss to blend

Creamy Seared Scallop Fettuccine Pasta

If you  love scallops your going to love this creamy  Seared Scallop Fettuccine pasta. This decant meal is for sea food lovers but even non lovers like it.

The scallops are tender, sweet and packed with delicate flavor, and easy to prepare. Scallops are  a highly  prized shell fish for their delicate texture and taste. when cooked properly they are sweet and tender and turn a weeknight meal into a celebration.

Whether using large sea scallops or the small bay scallops, just a few on a plate, turns a meal into a special occasion.

This is a prefect dinner when your craving Italian but want easy too. Scallops, bacon and pasta tossed in a light creamy sauce full of Italian flavors. It’s a restaurant quality recipe made easy for the home cook.

Things to know about this Creamy Seared Scallop Fettuccine Pasta

In this Seared Scallop Fettuccine the scallops are perfectly seared for my taste. Here’s how to get perfectly seared scallops. Start by patting the scallops dry with paper towels.

Next salt and pepper the scallops, meanwhile in a large saute pan bring the olive oil and butter to medium high heat. Saute the scallops being sure they are not crowded in the pan three minutes on each side turning once.

The combination of butter and olive oil produce a seared crust without burning the delicate scallops. Not crowding the pan also helps the scallops to sear and not be colorless.

In this recipe I used large 16 – 20 scallops sea scallops you can use the smaller bay scallops and your also not tried down to using fettuccine, use any long shape pasta you like. If you like scallops as much as I do try my personal favorite  Seared Scallops with  Creamy Orzo

If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram. I love hearing from you !!!!

Ingredients

• 1/2  lb. Fettuccine
• I Lb. large scallops
• 2 Tbs. each olive oil and butter
• 2 Tbs. chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups spinach chopped
• 1 cup diced pancetta
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. each chopped Italian parsley and basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction

1. Cook Fettuccine according to package directions reserve 1 cup of the water before draining
2. Remove the tough side mussel from the scallops . then pat them dry. Salt and pepper to taste
3.  Heat oil and butter over medium high heat add the scallops turning once to brown both sides, ( 3-4 minutes per side)remove and set aside.
4.  In the same pan add  the onion and garlic cook  until soft and translucent. Then add the pancetta and cook until brown
5. Add heavy whipping cream, chicken stock, resevered pasta water and parmesan cheese
6. Simmer until thickens about 10 minutes
7. Add  spinach  simmer 5 minutes longer
8. Return scallops to pan just to heat through
9. Toss cooked fettuccine in sauce adjust salt and pepper to your taste
10. Top with additional parmesan……. Enjoy!!!!!

• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Penne Pasta – Easy Weeknight Dinner

You need to add this Tuscan Chicken Penne to your weekly pasta night menu. It’s a creamy pan sauce filled with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms and goes prefect with the chicken and pasta. This is a delicious base sauce to add any shape pasta to, it doesn’t have to be penne, use what you have on hand.

My recipes and the way I cook is to use what  I have on hand, or what is on sale and the freshest seasonal  ingredients.  This meal came about because on a shopping trip I bought whole, skinless. boneless chicken breast, they were on sale.

I like to cut them into different shapes to use in different recipes. For this penne pasta I cut the chicken into strips.

The rest I cut into fillets for grilling or baking, lay it flat in baggies and freeze it.

It’s great when all you have to do is take the chicken out of the freezer and it’s pan ready for your recipe, for those busy night , when commitments are long and time is short.

This quick dinner can be on your table in about thirty minutes and has few ingredients so you don’t have to go to the store as often, because you forgot something, and leaving with more than you came for, plus a little extra frustration you didn’t have to pay for in this crazy times.

Things to know about this creamy chicken penne recipe

In this Tuscan Chicken Penne recipe, I use one of my favorite tricks—pasta water! I do this in about 75% of my recipes because pasta water is pure magic when it comes to finishing sauces.

Before adding the pasta to your pan, ladle in about 1 cup of the starchy, salty cooking water. It not only adds flavor but also helps bind the sauce and pasta together while naturally thickening the sauce.

Don’t forget to save the pasta water before you drain it—this is one of the easiest steps to overlook! I like to save extra just in case I want to adjust the sauce’s consistency.

Need to thicken your pan sauce a bit more? Try this trick: coat a pat or two of butter in flour and drop it into the sauce. Let it simmer for at least 5 minutes to cook out any raw flour taste.

This Tuscan-style sauce is a restaurant-quality base you can customize any way you like. It’s full of flavor and guaranteed to be a hit with your family. If you like family friendly pasta meals that come together quick and taste delicious try my tomato piccata shrimp bucatini.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you—leave a comment or tag me on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations. That’s truly my favorite part!

Ingredients

1/2  lb. penne pasta

1/2 Lbs.  skinless boneless chicken breast sliced into strips

2 Tbs. each olive oil and butter

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups spinach chopped

4 oz, sun dried tomatoes

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup reserved pasta water

1 Tbs. each chopped Italian parsley, and basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction

1. Salt and pepper the chicken
2. Heat oil and butter add the chicken saute on high heat till golden, remove and set aside
3.  In the same pan lower the heat to medium add the onion and garlic saute until soft and translucent
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine waiting until fully absorbed before adding  the cream, chicken stock, and pasta water
5. Simmer  covered until thickens about 15 minute
6. Add  spinach and sun dried tomatoes simmer 5 minutes longer.
7. Toss cooked penne in sauce add the parmesan cheese, Italian parsley and basil
8. Top with additional parmesan……. Enjoy!!!

Tuscan-Style Jumbo Shrimp Linguine

This Tuscan-Style Jumbo Shrimp Linguine recipe is one that’s sure to impress family and friends. It comes together quickly, in less than 30 minutes, is decant enough for Saturday night dinner with friends, and easy enough for family dinners any night of the week.

Jumbo shrimp in a creamy sauce with spinach, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes produce the most delicious sauce prefect for the linguine I used in this recipe.  This is one of best pasta dish to add to your weekly pasta night. We need this pasta right now, a very simple, delicious recipe, one your whole family will love. With everything going on in the world and everyone’s lives being affected in some way, there is still so much joy and comfort in cooking.

And I’m really wanting to share comforting recipe inspirations with you that uses minimal ingredients and delivers big flavors.

Things to know about this Tuscan-Style Jumbo Shrimp Linguine recipe

In this Jumbo Shrimp linguine recipe I used frozen jumbo shrimp. It’s preferable to buy shrimp frozen as fresh is rare, most are sold in five- pound blocks or they come individually frozen.

I recommend opting for the for the second. Individually frozen shrimp tend to show less damage during freezing. They also make it easy to thaw out only the shrimp you need for a single meal.

Of course you can buy smaller qualities that a have been previously frozen but you have to use them within one to two days. I prefer buying the five pound frozen individual ones, and taking out what I need for what Am making, also buying in larger quantities usually means less expensive.

Something else there are ways of describing shrimp size such as jumbo, large or medium in this recipe I used Jumbo which means there are 16-20 shrimp per pound. The smaller the shrimp the more per pound, if all possible buy jumbo with the shells on.

Only defrost what you need,  you can defrost them two ways overnight in the fridge or for quick defrost in a bowl of cold water. Shrimp will keep fresh in the fridge for 2 to three days and frozen up to 4 months.

Shell and devien the shrimp just before cooking, keeping the shell on retains flavor. Most importantly shrimp cook quickly overcook them and you end up with dried out shrimp.

One more thing if you ever wondered what the difference is between Shrimp and Prawns there really isn’t any except size, this jumbo shrimp can be classified as prawns. If you like shrimp or prawn recipes try my Tomato Piccata shrimp bucatini, a family favorite.

If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I love hearing from you!!!!

Ingredients: Serves 4

 30 minute Broccoli Pancetta rigatoni

Things to know about this 30 minute broccoli pancetta rigatoni recipe

This creamy Broccoli Pancetta Rigatoni is a quick and comforting Italian-inspired pasta dinner you can make in under 30 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights. Made with simple ingredients like butter, garlic, cream, and broccoli, it’s rich, flavorful, and easy to customize with whatever you have on hand.

Don’t have pancetta? No problem—swap in regular bacon. No broccoli? Use spinach or another green vegetable you love. I used rigatoni, but any pasta shape works beautifully. My recipes are designed to be flexible and help you avoid extra trips to the store.

I don’t drink alcohol, so I always include the option to use either white wine or chicken stock—whatever suits your taste and lifestyle. In some recipes, I do use wine, but I always make sure there’s an alternative for those who prefer not to.

This is a restaurant-quality meal that’s easy enough for a weeknight and special enough to impress. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and tag me on Instagram—I always enjoy seeing your creations.

Ingredients

1/2  lb. rigatoni

4 cups  broccoli florets

1 Tbsp. butter

1 cup  diced pancetta 

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 small chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced  garlic

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chicken stock or white wine

1 cup reserved pasta water

1 Tbs. each chopped Italian parsley, and basil

Greens And Beans Spaghetti pasta

This Greens and Beans Spaghetti pasta is a prefect definition of a comforting family meal everyone will love. It’s a beautiful bowl of lemony, spinach, broccoli, vegetarian pasta that comes together quickly.

While the sauce is  being make on the front burner the pasta is cooking on the back burner. In case you haven’t notice I love pasta. It’s my favorite go to ingredient, when am stuck for dinner ideas it’s pasta to the rescue.  Italians truly love pasta so much so that it ranks first pasta consumption, with Americans close behind.

Really what’s not to love? Pasta is versatile, quick, easy, delicious and with all the shapes and flavors you could have pasta often without repeating the same meal.

A few Tips about this Greens and Beans Spaghetti pasta

When making Greens and Beans spaghetti be sure to save some of the pasta water. It’s a step that can be easily missed if you drain the pasta before reserving a cup or two of this starchy water.

This water is key to create a pan sauce that sticks to the pasta. I always reserve a little extra just in case the sauce reduces too much. Another tip…

If the sauce is too liquid coat a pat of butter with flour and trow it into the sauce to thicken it more. Tip number 3 add the broccoli to the pasta water just a few minutes before you drain the pasta.

One more thing….if your like me and cook in the morning for dinner stop the cooking process so the pasta remains el dente by running it and the broccoli under cold water.Then at dinner time reheat the sauce, add the pasta and broccoli just too heat through.

One more thing add salt and pepper to the vegetables in the saute pan,  salt brings out the flavor in food, but use it sparsely you can add more to adjust flavors according to your taste.

This is a great satisfying  vegetarian  pasta recipe. If you make it please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I love hearing from you, that’s my favorite part. if you like easy vegetarian  pasta recipes try my summer lemon ricotta pasta and peas or my personal favorite vegetarian zucchini and tomato pasta.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lbs. spaghetti
•  2 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup my walnut pesto sauce or your favorite store bought pesto
• 2 cups resevered pasta water
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley and basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction

1. Cook pasta  according to package directions add the broccoli last 5 minutes  reserve 2 cups of pasta water
2. In a large saute pan cook the onion and garlic until tender and just beginning to brown
3. Add the, reserved pasta water, drained, rinsed beans  and   prepared pesto sauce
4. Simmer 15 minutes add spinach last 5 minutes
5. Toss pasta into green and bean sauce
6. Add the herbs and Parmesan Cheese

 30 minute Broccolini Tortellini

This 30 minute Broccolini Tortellini with pancetta is quick, easy, delicious and the best part you only need one pan.

I don’t know about you but  this shelter in place has me cooking and cleaning more then when I was in the restaurant. So am always looking for quick and easy, and if it’s make in one pan that’s a bonus.

This pasta recipe was created out of the contents of my fridge, and whatever pasta I had. I knew it was going to be good, broccolini, tortellini and pancetta together are what dreams are made of.

Well it turned out better than I could have dreamt and the whole family loved it!!

Things to know about this 30 minute Broccolini Tortellini

Like most of my recipes this Broccolini Tortellini pasta is customizable. By changing the ingredients you can make this recipe fit your lifestyle, tastes and what you have available.

Though broccoli and broccolini have a very similar flavors broccolini is slightly sweeter and more expense. That’s what I had in my fridge so that’s what I used.

You can use broccoli if that’s what you have on hand, it works. Now about the pancetta which is Italy’s version of  bacon, the difference between the two is that pancetta is never smoked.

In some recipes swapping the two doesn’t work because bacon has a smokey flavor, but in this Brocollini Tortellini it works just fine. I tested the recipe using broccoli and bacon, it was just as a delicious.

I hope you make this recipe it’s delicious. And when you do please leave me a comment, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, hearing from you is my favorite part!!!

Ingredients

• 1 9 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 8 oz. trimmed broccolini
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomato
• 1 cup diced pancetta
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons each Italian parsley and basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large skillet,  in the olive oil cook the pancetta over medium heat until crisp.

2. Add the chopped onion and garlic; sauté until tender and lightly golden.

3. Stir in the broccolini and season with salt and pepper.

4. Add the tortellini, chicken stock, and water. Stir gently to combine.

5. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the tortellini is cooked and broccolini is tender.

6. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, Parmesan, parsley, and basil.

7. Cook for another minute or two, just until heated through.

8. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.