Salmon Broccoli Fettucini

This salmon, broccoli fettucini is the best recipe when your craving Italian, and want quick and easy too. Pasta, salmon and broccoli tossed in a light creamy, lemony sauce, full of delicious summer flavors.

When you need an easy 30 minute dinner make this pasta. It’s comfort food with a light and summery taste.

OK, so I know I post a lot of pasta recipes, but pasta is so versatile, you could have hundreds of combinations. At the restaurant on the menu, you pick, your pasta shape, sauce,and any extra add-ins.

By some estimates there are 600 distinct commercial brands of pasta shape, hundreds of sauces, endless vegetables and protein combinations.

That’s why I post a lot of pasta recipes, when am stuck for a dinner idea it’s Pasta to the rescue. It’s not often you find a meal the whole family will like, when you do you’ll want to make it often.

Making Salmon Broccoli Fettucini

Start by cooking the pasta according to package direction, adding the broccoli the last few minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli reserving two cups of the magical pasta water.

YES, pasta water is magical when added to pasta sauces, is’t natural starch thickens the sauce and adds flavor eliminating the need for added creams. Salt and pepper the salmon then cut it into cubes.

Brown the salmon then remove it from the pan to prevent overcooking, set it aside while making the sauce.

Put the rest of the ingredients in the pan scraping up all the brown bites, simmer for 10 minutes. Return salmon, broccoli and pasta to saute pan heat through, sprinkle with parsley and thyme….ENJOY If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram hearing from you is my favorite part. If you like salmon, you may want to try my Citrus Salmon

Ingredients

1/2 Lbs. Fettuccine
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 Lbs. skinless salmon cut in medium chunks
2 Tbs. butter and extra virgin olive oil
2 cups pasta water
1 cup manufacturing cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 Tbs. chopped garlic
2 Tbs. grated lemon peel
Juice from 2 lemons
2 Tbs. each Italian parsley and Thyme
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions Add broccoli last 5 minutes and reserving two cups of the water
Salt and pepper the salmon pieces
In a saute pan bring oil and butter to a medium heat
Add onion and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
Add salmon cook 5 minutes brown slightly and remove set aside
Add resevered pasta water, cream, parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon peel
Simmer 10 minutes
Toss, pasta, broccoli, salmon and herbs in the sauce……ENJOY

Italian Eggplant Parmesan

Italian Baked Eggplant

This is a classic Italian baked eggplant parmesan, bursting with robust Italian flavors. It’s a lightened up version with air fried breadcrumb crusted eggplant and layered with marinara, cheeses and herbs.

It starts with unpeeled eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds, dipped in egg, coated with Italian flavored breadcrumbs, layered with marinara and oozing cheeses. Am telling you this is the best eggplant recipe ever.

My family who doesn’t have the same fondness for eggplant as I do, loves IT, that makes it a WIN-WIN because it’s one of me very favorites.

Italian Eggplant Parmesan Tips

Start by choosing shiny, firm small eggplant. When choosing eggplant small is better, larger ones tend to have more seeds and less flavor.

Then there’s the debate about breading the eggplant or not, I have made it both ways, if you want a lighter version omit the breadcrumb crust and follow the rest of the recipe.

In this recipe I didn’t peel the eggplant, if using larger eggplant I recommend peeling them, the skin on larger eggplants tends to be tough and more bitter then smaller ones.

I used the air fryer option on my toaster oven to fry the eggplant, using no oil, the finished Italian eggplant parmesan was so delicious with no oil taste.

If you don’t have an air fryer you can fry the eggplant slices in 4 Tablespoons for 2 minutes on each side in hot vegetable oil, drain on paper towels before layer.

Homemade marinara is a stable in my kitchen, I use it in so many recipes, when I make it I always made more and freeze it. That’s what I used in this recipe,

you can use your favorite one. It’s also good to let the baked eggplant cool a bit before serving for easier slicing.

If you make this recipe please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, that’s my favorite part.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
2 eggs slightly beaten + 1 for the ricotta
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups grated parmesan
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup chopped spinach
4 cups prepared marinara
2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut unpeeled eggplant into 1/2 inch slices
Salt eggplant slices
Put salted eggplant slices in a colander placed over a bowl
Place paper towels over eggplant and place a few heavy cans on top of it leave for a few hours over overnight
If air fryer turn temperature to 375
Mix ricotta with the spinach, one egg and 1/2 cup of the parmesan salt and pepper to taste
Mix 1/2 cup of the parmesan and 1 tablespoon Italian parsley to the bread crumbs
Dip eggplant in egg mixture, then in bread crumb mixture
Air fry or conventionally fry eggplant until golden 10 minutes in air fryer
Begin layering eggplant casserole beginning with marinara sauce then eggplant then ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan , repeating ending with mozzarella
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until brown and bubbly
Cool slightly before serving

Tuscan Bucatini

This Tuscan bucatini is such a great recipe that uses few ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes, easy enough for weeknight family meals, and fancy enough for Saturday night dinners with friends.

It’s fast and full of rich Italian flavors, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and garlic make this vegetarian pasta dinner mouth watering good.

Simple in nature, this recipe is made with ingredients you probably have on hand, but if you don’t my recipes are always customizable, to fit your lifestyle and taste.

You can change this Tuscan pasta recipe by adding, subtracting or changing the pasta shape to make it your own creation.

Bucatini Pasta

It’s no secret I love pasta!! When I am stuck for dinner ideas it’s pasta to the rescue, and one of my favorite is bucatine.

Bucatini pasta is like a hollow thick spaghetti. Growing up my bother and I used the long hollow noodles like straws, it drove my mother crazy.

This dry pasta needs to simply be stirred in boiling water for 10 minutes, and dressed up with your favorite sauce. It taste ,

delicious in this vegetarian Tuscan Bucatini recipe but you can use any shape pasta you like.

Be sure the stock pot s big enough for the long noodles to move freely. The right size pots and pans are important in any well equipped kitchen,

I use a 6 quart stock pot it’s the prefect size for all around kitchen use. You don’t need a lot of different pots and pans, start with a basic set and build as needed .

If you make this recipe pleas leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram that’s my favorite part!!!!

Ingredients

1 lbs bucatini pasta
4 cups chopped spinach
1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 small chopped onion
2 Tablespoons each butter and olive oil
2 cups resevered pasta water
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons each Italian parsley, basil, and thyme

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package direction reserve two cups of pasta water
In a saute pan saute the garlic and onion until limp in 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Add the sun dried tomatoes and reserved pasta water
Simmer covered for 10 minutes
Add the spinach and parmesan cheese last 5 minutes
Toss the pasta in the sauce
Add herbs
Sprinkle with Additional parmesan and Italian parsley and ENJOY!!!

Easy Chicken Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are the very best meatballs ever, the healthier version of everyone’s favorite.

Ground chicken breast, seasoned with rich traditional Italian flavors, so good you’ll want to make them often.

Think pasta and meatballs, meatball sandwiches or just a bowl of meatballs with sour dough bread to sop up the homemade marinara sauce.

Chicken meatballs can be used in many different ways and frozen for ready made meals for busy weeknight dinners, or unexpected company is coming.

It’s not often you find a meal everyone will love, when you do it’s a win-win.

While the Italian meatball may not rival in popularity in the same way as the American hamburger, it still has a big following across the nation. I know they ‘re popular in my house

The Definition Of Meatballs

The definition of meatballs is ground meat that is shaped into a ball. In Italian meatballs they are made from beef or veal and either fried or baked before finishing the cooking process in marinara sauce. We had this meal twice a week when I was growing up, on Thursday and Sunday.

I still make the same meal for my family at least once a week using ground chicken. These chicken meatballs are a healthier version of the classic without losing

any of the authentic Italian flavors. I made them even healthier by baking them in my Cuisinart air fryer

A few tips

Don’t over mix the meat mix only until well blended,

if your hand are damp it makes it easier to roll

Pre portion the meat before forming into meatballs

Don’t overcook bake total cooking time is 30 minutes 1o minutes in the oven and 20 minutes in the marinara sauce

If you make these chicken meatballs please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram….That’s my favorite part hearing from you !!!

Ingredients

1 lbs. ground chicken breast
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons each chopped garlic and Italian parsley
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Turn oven to 375 degrees
Mix all ingredients except the ground chicken well
Add the ground chicken mixing until well blended don’t over mix
With damp hands roll into golf size balls
bake in a preheated oven 10 minutes
Transfer to prepared marinara
Simmer 20 covered 20 minutes
ENJOY!!!!