Pasta Party!

I've loved pasta for as long as I can remember. According to my mom, it was one of my first favorites.

That said, here are six yummy pasta recipes to help you through the day, including Fettuccine Alfredo and Penne with Grilled Okra and Green Beans. Enjoy!

TWO-PEA RAVIOLI

This comes from Weight Watchers, and begins, "Convenient frozen cheese ravioli is bulked up with sugar snap and green peas, then tossed with the zest and juice of a lemon for a dish that feels bright and fresh. For the best snap and crunch, choose fresh sugar snap peas—but know that frozen ones will also work well. Thaw them and toss them into the boiling water with the green peas, just long enough to warm them through. Try to serve this dish shortly after tossing everything together; if it sits for a while, the acid in the lemon juice will discolor the peas."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20; Serves: 4; Difficultly: Easy; Serving size: 1 1/4 cups

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 oz frozen cheese ravioli

8 oz., trimmed (or frozen snap peas) uncooked sugar snap peas

1 cup, thawed froze green peas

1 tsp lemon zest

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook 3 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook 2 minutes. Add green peas and cook 1 minute or until ravioli is tender and sugar snap peas are crisp-tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, stir together lemon zest and juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Add ravioli mixture and toss gently to coat.

PENNE WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

This is from Amanda Hesser at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, "This exquisitely simple recipe came to The Times in a 2001 article about Paola di Mauro, an Italian winemaker in Marina, a small town southeast of Rome. She was one of a band of cooks who helped distinguish 'cucina castlinga,' roughly translated as 'housewives' cooking.' From her humble kitchen, Ms. di Mauro mentored some of the best Italian chefs and restaurateurs in the United States, including Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Piero Selvaggio and Tony May. Her recipe is easy and calls for just five ingredients – cherry tomatoes, olive oil, pecorino romano and penne pasta – but get your hands on the best ingredients you can afford. Ms. di Mauro intended this to serve four as a first course, but if you're making this for dinner, double the recipe."

Yield: 2 to 4 servings; Time: 35 minutes

This was featured in "A Roman Muse For America's Great Chefs," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1778-penne-with-roasted-cherry-tomatoes.

Note: When you get a minute or two, click on the article link above and read the article. I found the article to be interesting reading, and I'm sure you will, too. In fact, if you want to do that now, go for it. I'll wait…(tap, tap, tap)

Ingredients

1 pound small cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for tossing

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano, more for serving

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 pound penne

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line bottom of casserole dish with cherry tomatoes in a single layer, halved side up. Pour oil on top, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until tomatoes have wilted, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with enough sea salt so that water tastes mildly of salt. When tomatoes are just about done, add penne to water and cook until al dente (it should be pliable, but still firm in center). Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain pasta and add to casserole. Fold tomatoes and pasta together, adding another 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it is dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Serve, passing more grated cheese at the table.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA

I had something similar to this at a local Italian restaurant several times, and decided to try making it. A hint for making this: wait until all the veggies have been cut up, then start the water boiling for the angel hair pasta. The veggies should be cooked for 2-4 minutes, and the pasta cooked for 2 minutes before the pasta is drained and then allowed to finish cooking for another 2 minutes with the veggies. Timing is important — unless you like disgustingly soggy pasta.

Note: This recipes, as well as the next one (Baked Ziti), can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking. I'm planning to update this e-cookbook in the near future.

Ingredients

1/2 C water

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 T oregano

1 lb. angel hair pasta

Directions

Cut up veggies while heating the pasta water. DO NOT PUT PASTA INTO WATER UNTIL THE VEGGIES BEGIN COOKING. (There. I said it.) In veggie pot, heat 1/2 C water & balsamic vinegar until it begins to bubble; add onion, garlic, pepper & oregano and stir once or twice. NOW ADD PASTA TO POT OF BOILING PASTA WATER. (Boy, what a bossy broad.) Simmer veggies on low-medium heat for 2-4 minutes, covered. Cook pasta for only 2 minutes, then drain in colander. As soon as pasta is drained, remove cover from veggies, dump pasta into veggie pot, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring several times. Remove from heat. DIG IN!!! (Now, isn’t that good?)

BOW TIES WITH FENNEL, GREEN BEANS AND BABY LIMAS

This one is from the April 2000 issue of Vegetarian Times, and starts out, “Most of us prefer our green beans briefly cooked just until they're crisp-tender and bright green. Slightly longer cooking may dim the color, but it brings out the beans' inherent sweetness. Braising them with lima beans, tomatoes and fennel creates a delightful sauce for pasta.” Serves 4 to 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 medium bulb fennel, chopped (1 cup)

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. fennel seeds, lightly crushed

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup frozen baby lima beans

6 oz. green beans, trimmed and halved (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup kalamata olives, rinsed, halved and pitted

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

12 oz. dried bow-tie pasta (farfalle)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz.; optional)

Directions

Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in broth and lima beans and bring to a simmer.

Stir in green beans and salt, reduce heat to medium and simmer until all beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes and olives and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and pepper.

Shortly before sauce is ready, add bow ties to boiling water; stir to prevent sticking. Cook, stirring often, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and place in large warm serving bowl. Add bean mixture and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan if desired.

nutritional information Per Serving: Calories: 338; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 50 g; Sodium: 726 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Vegan

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, "This fettuccine recipe is purported to be similar to a famous Italian restaurant's fettuccine dish.”

Ingredients:

8 ounces fettuccine

8 ounces cream cheese, cut in small pieces

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter

1/2 cup milk

Preparation:

Cook fettuccine in boiling salted water following package directions. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter, and milk, stirring constantly until smooth and hot. do not boil. Toss the hot cooked pasta lightly with sauce, coating well.

Serves 4.

PENNE WITH GRILLED OKRA AND GREEN BEANS

This is from the Food Network. Active Time: 25 minutes; Tota Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/penne-with-grilled-okra-and-green-beans-5258431.

Ingredients

8 ounces okra, trimmed and halved lengthwise

8 ounces green beans, trimmed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

12 ounces penne rigate

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh basil

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium high. Toss the okra and green beans with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sheet of foil or a grill basket with the okra cut-side down. Grill the vegetables, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board. Halve the beans crosswise and halve any large okra pieces lengthwise.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest; season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the grilled okra and green beans, parmesan and garlic, stirring in enough of the reserved cooking water to loosen. Stir in the basil. Divide among bowls and top with the panko mixture.