Mango & Tomato: pasta

9/18/21

Cooking Inspirations: What I've Been Cooking and Baking

And so it's the weekend again! I thought I'd share with you a few of my latest inspirations for cooking and baking.

First up, Marnely's Vegan Tofu Bolognese: such an easy to follow and satisfying recipe. I had seconds and thirds the first time I made it. Bonus points: Marnely is a friend (and I really hope we meet in real life one day). The leftovers are great on top of white beans.

Next up, Joan Nathan's challah, but with chopped crystallized ginger on the inside and a combination of black and white sesame seeds and sugar in the raw on the outside. This was by far one of the best challah recipes.

I made half the recipe and then divided it into 2: one round, one regular topped with za'atar. I'll definitely be making this recipe again and again.

Thanks Jenna for inspiring me!

The confetti plate is from one of my favorite businesses: Felt and Fat.

And finally, Olive Oil, Honey, and Apple Cake from Pickled Plum. I literally googled those terms and found the recipe: easy to follow, gorgeous, and something fun for Rosh Hashana or any fall day. I served mine with vanilla ice cream and powdered sugar.

4/8/20

Spring Pasta With Leeks, Zucchini, And Peas

This Spring Pasta With Leeks, Zucchini, And Peas is a super quick lunch recipe and was inspired by Melissa Clark's chat last week (virtual) with Politics & Prose.

I submitted a question to Melissa asking what to do with 3 leeks and one huge zucchini. Melissa suggested sauteing both in butter and olive oil, then adding anchovies and serving with pasta.

I don't happen to like anchovies, other than the large fat marinated ones, but did not have those in my pantry (aka one kitchen cabinet).

I used what I had. It turned out lovely.

Spring Pasta With Leeks, Zucchini, And Peas

Ingredients (without exact measurements)
olive oil
butter
leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half lengthwise, and then into thin moon shapes
large zucchini, sliced the same as leeks
garlic cloves, minced
salt
defrosted peas
zest and juice of Meyer lemon, or a regular lemon
pasta of your choice, cooked
shaved English extra mature cheddar
6 minute jammy egg (Put eggs into cold water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Turn the heat off. Let stand for 6 minutes. Dunk eggs into ice cold water. Peel. Cut in half.)
sumac

Directions
1. Heat a combination of olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add leeks and saute until they've softened. Try not to burn them like I did.
2. Add zucchini. At this point you may want to cover the skillet with a lid to quickly soften the zucchini.
3. Take the lid off, add garlic, and continue sauteing until the vegetables are cooked through and are golden brown.
4. Season with salt. Add defrosted peas, Meyer lemon zest and juice, and pasta. Combine. Heat through.
5. Serve in a bowl that you made in a pottery class.
6. Top with shaved cheese.
7. Add half of an egg topped with sumac.

This dish is great hot or at room temperature. Also, feel free to forego pasta and instead use the leek/zucchini/pea mixture as a filling for an omelet or a topping for toast!

1/14/19

Tuscanini Gigli Pasta With Fennel, Tomatoes & Peas

Tuscanini Gigli Pasta With Fennel, Tomatoes & Peas is a beautiful vegan dish that brings brightness, color, and at the same time comfort to a snowy cold winter day.

I received a sample of Tuscanini Gigli pasta and LOVED the fun shape which reminds me of a trumpet flower. It's apparently great served with sauce as the sauce sticks to the fluttered edges, but I decided to make it with a bunch of vegetables. In fact, there are more vegetables in this dish than pasta.

Of course you can use whichever pasta shape you love!

Tuscanini Gigli Pasta With Fennel, Tomatoes & Peas
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, then well washed and drained
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
salt & red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup defrosted peas
1 cup defrosted corn
2 cups dried pasta, cooked according to directions {NOTE: I always cook my pasta 1-2 minutes longer because I don't like it al dente pasta}
Meyer lemon zest and juice
dill, chopped
extra olive oil

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add leeks and fennel and saute until softened, mixing every few minutes. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.
2. Add cherry tomatoes, peas, and corn. Saute for a few extra minutes.
3. Add drained cooked pasta. Mix to combine. Saute for a few more minutes.
4. Off the heat, add Meyer lemon zest and juice. Taste and adjust for salt.
5. Serve topped with dill and a drizzle of olive oil.

PS Leftovers reheat well and are great with chopped olives!

Dislaimer: I received a sample of pasta free of charge, but this post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

1/25/16

Vegetarian Zucchini & Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta With Chickpeas & Fresh Mozzarella

Happy Meatless Monday! It's been over a week that I've made an actual meal. First, I was on vacation in Miami (make sure to check out my instagram), then I flew back to find out water pouring from the ceiling of my kitchen and dining room. Not fun. I've had 2 huge fans and a dehumidifier machine making noise nonstop in my condo for days. Well, this snowy weekend, I decided enough was enough and it was time to get back into cooking and blogging!

I finally decided to make spiralized zucchini and mix them with whole wheat angel hair pasta and a few other bright ingredients for a healthy and satisfying meal.

Vegetarian Zucchini & Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta With Chickpeas & Fresh Mozzarella
Makes 3-4 portions

Ingredients
1" bundle of whole wheat Angel hair pasta
water
salt
olive oil
2 large zucchini, spiralized
2 garlic cloves, sliced
red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella
1 large tomato, cubed
1 Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

These are the little things that remain after I use my KitchenAid spiralizer ;) They crack me up.

Directions
1. Start by boiling salted water for the pasta. Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil into a large skillet and add spiralized zucchini and sliced garlic. Season with salt and red pepper flakes and saute for about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add drained pasta, chickpeas, mozzarella cubes and tomato. Heat through. At this point mozzarella will start to melt slightly.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add zest of the entire Meyer lemon and half of the juice. Sprinkle in parsley and taste to make sure there's enough salt and heat from the red pepper flakes.
5. Serve immediately.

This was such a satisfying and at the same time rather light dish. I'm not going to tell you zucchini "pasta" is real pasta, but it's a good way to cut down on carbs a bit.

I'm about to heat up a bowl of these leftovers for lunch.

Cheers!

12/1/15

What To Do With Leftover Ramen Noodles: Ramen Noodles With Vegetables & Fried Egg

Welcome to this cold, grey and rainy Tuesday! Did you have a good Thanksgiving holiday? I did! I got to see my twin and hang out with our friends and do some touristy things around DC as well as cook together. It was lovely. And now it's back to work and all the adulthood chores.

This Ramen Noodles With Vegetables & Fried Egg recipe is from a few weeks ago and I really wish I had something similar for dinner tonight. But don't worry...maybe I'll make potato balls with leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes!

Whenever I go out for pho or ramen, I almost always ask for only half the noodles because the broth is my favorite part. Last time, however, when I went to Daikaya for lunch, I decided to get the full amount of noodles in my spicy miso ramen bowl. I ate all the broth and half the noodles and took the rest of the noodles home.

What To Do With Leftover Ramen Noodles: Ramen Noodles With Vegetables & Fried Egg

Here's what you do:

1) Saute any vegetables you like: I used mushrooms, peppers and broccoli

2) Reheat leftover noodles in a separate pot

3) Fry an egg

4) Top the noodles with sautéed vegetables and a fried egg

5) Dig in

Breaking the yolk is one of my favorite things to do ;)

Clearly I thought this was a successful dish.

11/16/15

Meatless Monday Pasta: Roasted Butternut Squash & Ricotta Stuffed Shells

My coworkers often ask me for suggestions when it comes to restaurants. Occasionally I get requests for recipe ideas. The latter happened a few weeks ago when I was asked for impressive dishes to make with squash.

I automatically thought of butternut squash, my favorite type of squash. Alas my ideas for butternut squash lasagna, gnocchi or stuffed squash weren't impressive enough. Eye roll. Maybe I should have suggested butternut squash risotto?!

Then I thought of stuffed shells! Stuffed shells with roasted butternut squash and creamy ricotta in a pool of tomato pasta sauce covered in cheese and broiled. OMG! YES!

I liked the idea so much, I decided to make it myself ;)

Meatless Monday Pasta: Roasted Butternut Squash & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Serves 4

Ingredients
16 shells, cooked in salted water for 8 minutes, drained, cooled
2 cups roasted butternut squash {I roast mine whole in 425F oven for about an hour or until tender}
1 cup full fat ricotta
10 basil leaves, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups pasta sauce, heated
1/2 cup shredded cheese {I used Parmesan/Gouda blend from Trader Joe's thanks to suggestion from my friend Sylvie.}

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. In a mixing bowl combine roasted butternut squash, ricotta and basil and season with salt & pepper. You want the mixture to be pretty smooth.
3. Stuff the shells with the mixture. If you have some of the filling left over, eat it with a spoon or spread on toast.
4. Pour heated tomato sauce into a baking dish: mine was about 8x10". Nestle in the stuffed shells.
5. Bake stuffed shells for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the baking pan from the oven and sprinkle the shells with the cheese. Broil for about 5-10 minutes, making sure not to burn the cheese.
7. Allow the shells to cool slightly and then dig in!

Hear the sizzle and the bubbling!!!

A video posted by @mangotomato on Nov 9, 2015 at 9:41am PST

This was quite a decadent and satisfying dish. It's perfect for Meatless Monday or Sunday dinner or lunch any day of the week. I froze most of the shells and can't wait to eat them very soon!

6/8/15

Summer Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Corn, Zucchini and Turkey Bacon

How's your Monday?

The last week has been stressful. I wasn't getting enough sleep. Work was busy. I was feeling tired.

I spent this weekend on the couch watching TV, reading (The Girl on the Train), going swimming and not worrying about cooking and/or photographing anything for the blog.

I hope you'll forgive me.

Last night for dinner I made a dish with a bunch of produce, turkey bacon and whole wheat spaghetti. Because the photo of the dish was really popular on instagram, I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Summer Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Corn, Zucchini and Turkey Bacon

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
water
salt
1/2 pack whole wheat spaghetti
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 turkey bacon strips, chopped
2 leeks {white parts only}, halved, cut into moon shapes, well washed and drained {you don't want any sand!!}
salt to taste
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1 zucchini, diced
2 spinach bunches, stems removed and discarded, leaves chopped
chili powder to taste
3 tablespoons cream cheese
basil for garnish

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add spaghetti and cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add bacon and leeks and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
3. Season leeks and bacon with salt, add corn and zucchini and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes.
4. Add spinach and chili powder and cook until spinach has wilted.
5. Drain spaghetti and add to the vegetable/bacon mixture. Mix in cream cheese. Feel free to use a bit of pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce.
6. Serve topped with fresh basil.

Of course you can use any vegetables you like/have on hand. Also, feel free to use mozzarella or parmesan or even feta! I used cream cheese because that's the only type of cheese I had.

4/13/15

Meatless Monday: Pinch Of Yum's Soba Noodles In Black Pepper Sauce With Tofu & Vegetables

If you are following the Meatless Monday movement, I have your dinner tonight planned out for you. You can get the Soba Noodles in Pepper Sauce With Tofu and Vegetables done in about 30 minutes and have plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

My friend at work told me about the soba noodles she made from Pinch Of Yum, and I thought the recipe sounded flavorful and easy to make and printed it out a few weeks ago. I finally made the dish yesterday with a few changes. THIS is the original recipe. I'm not going to retype it because I followed it pretty closely. Instead, I'll tell you the changes I made and my thoughts on the final product.

Instead of using spinach, I sautéed sliced red pepper and pencil-thin asparagus to add to the dish once the soba noodles were cooked.

The sauce is made with ginger, garlic, honey, mirin, soy sauce, ground black peppercorns, and cornstarch. If I were to make it again, I'd add less honey and mirin. Also, my friend who made the recipe said she skipped the cornstarch and the result wasn't as sticky and gloopy as mine. This may be a good idea!

You basically sauté cubed firm tofu in a bit of sesame oil and then add a spoon full of the sauce. Then you sauté the barely cooked soba noodles in a bit more oil and add the rest of the sauce to cook the noodles until they are soft.

That's when you add back the tofu and the vegetables and garnish the whole dish with sesame seeds: I used black and white.

My thoughts: this dish definitely gets better after a night in the fridge. I ate the leftovers cold for lunch today and liked them better that way. If you are going to make it, I recommend mincing garlic and ginger and adding them to the sauce that way instead of adding all the sauce ingredients to a food processor.

Also, fresh herbs such as basil or cilantro would brighten up this dish as would fresh lime juice.

Have you cooked with soba noodles? How do you use them?

Also, I mistakenly bought a bottle of mirin because I did not realize I already had a bottle at home: what other dishes can I make that will use mirin?

1/5/15

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Goat Cheese And Hazelnuts

Welcome to the first blog post of 2015! Hope your year is off to a great start!

Although I've made gnocchi several times in the past, this was the first time I decided to make sweet potato gnocchi. Basically, I had a bunch of sweet potatoes sitting around and after using a few in a soup and a few in a hash, I thought I'll try something new. I did not have a recipe. I did not look for one. I thought I'd just make one up.

Well, these sweet potato gnocchi did not come out perfect. The sweet potatoes "sucked up" so much flour that the final product was somewhat chewy and dense. Why am I sharing this with you then? Well, because I loved the flavor of the final dish and thought maybe you could give me a few pointers for making lighter fluffier sweet potato gnocchi. Please leave your advice in the comments!

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Goat Cheese And Hazelnuts

Ingredients
3 baked sweet potatoes, skins removed
6 cups of flour, plus extra
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
olive oil
garlic, sliced
hazelnuts, chopped
goat cheese, crumbled
chili oil
salt

Directions
1. To make the gnocchi: in a stand mixer combine sweet potatoes, flour, salt and eggs. You may have to use more than 6 cups of flour depending on how big your potatoes are. Basically, get to the point where the dough is no longer super sticky.
2. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and form into a ball.
3. Working in manageable sections, roll the dough into sausages using your fingers and palms and then cut into individual gnocchi. If you want, use a fork dipped into flour to make little grooves in the gnocchi.
4. Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. {This "recipe" makes a ton: be ready to freeze a few portions uncooked.}

5. To finish the dish, heat a skillet with a bit of olive oil. Drain the gnocchi and add to the skillet with sliced garlic and chopped hazelnuts (1 garlic clove and 1-2 tablespoons of hazelnuts per person). Sauté until all the ingredients are golden brown, but do not burn the garlic!
6. Serve gnocchi with garlic and hazelnuts topped with crumbled goat cheese and a drizzle of chili oil and a bit of salt.

Ok, I'm ready for your "how to make sweet potato gnocchi better" ideas!!!

5/2/14

Cooking with Giovanni Rana Pasta: Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Spinach

Last month I received a lovely assortment of Giovanni Rana products to experiment with in my kitchen. I've not heard of this product line before and was eager to see what I thought of its pastas and sauces.

"Giovanni Rana has been making pasta for over 50 years. His philosophy is simple: be true to yourself and the things that make you happy. He learned that as a boy in the family kitchen in Veronella and he still believes that today. For him, perfect pasta comes from a passion for food and the joy of sharing that passion with the people you love."

One of the first things I made using Giovanni Rana products was Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Spinach.

How gorgeous is this fettuccine? This pasta is made with wheat semolina, eggs, water, and spinach. That's all! The texture resembles the type of pasta you'll make by hand. According to Giovanni, "Paglia E Fieno is a mix of green and yellow fettuccine translating literally to straw and hay."

Cooking with Giovanni Rana Pasta: Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Spinach
Ingredients
8.8 ounces Giovanni Rana Fettuccine Paglia E Fieno
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 thinly sliced shallot
1 cup grape tomatoes
red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup spinach
1 cup small mozzarella balls
salt to taste
fresh basil

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions. I, however, always cook my pasta a few extra minutes: don't judge!
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add sliced shallot and sauté until it turns translucent.
3. Add grape tomatoes and red pepper flakes and sauté till tomatoes brown a little.
4. Add spinach and sauté until it wilted.
5. Add drained pasta and fresh mozzarella balls to the vegetables and mix. Season with salt.
6. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.

Doesn't this just make you think of summer and eating outside? This dish looks pretty and is packed with great flavors. I love the beautiful fettuccine, the silky mozzarella balls and the grape tomatoes that burst in your mouth! The pepper flakes add the needed heat while the basil adds freshness.

I've also had a chance to use Giovanni Rana's pesto on sandwiches and in a cream cheese dip as well as with their spinach ricotta ravioli, roasted peppers and fresh peas. Here's a photo ;)

What's the latest pasta dish you made or ate?

Disclaimer: I received multiple samples of Giovanni Rana products, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

3/21/14

Recipe in Under 30 Minutes: Crazy Feta Pasta with Spicy Shrimp

If you don't have a ton of time to cook or prep, you will love this Recipe in Under 30 Minutes for Crazy Feta Pasta with Spicy Shrimp. You start with pasta, add a few vegetables, crazy feta and top the entire thing with spicy shrimp! This is a wonderful weeknight dinner or weekend lunch.

Recipe in Under 30 Minutes: Crazy Feta Pasta with Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients
water
salt
pasta
frozen peas, defrosted
artichoke heats, quartered
grape or cherry tomatoes
crazy feta
olive oil
shrimp, peeled and deveined
harissa

Directions
1. Cook pasta in salted water. Drain. Add defrosted peas, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and crazy feta. Mix to combine.
2. Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and sauté shrimp with harissa until shrimp is cooked through. Add to the pasta with vegetables and crazy feta and serve.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm excited to try a few new places for brunch: be sure to come back next week to see where I went and what I ate!

12/16/13

Perfect Meatless Monday Meal: Cappellacci Pasta with Broccoli Rabe & Meyer Lemon Juice

I love carbohydrates. Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, give it all to me!! When I was shopping at Home Goods earlier this month, I saw a bag of pretty Cappellacci shaped pasta and decided to pick it up. Paired with broccoli rabe, Meyer lemon from Limoneira and a few other simple ingredients, this is a perfectly beautiful and delicious dish for Meatless Monday or any day of the week.

Cappellacci Pasta with Broccoli Rabe & Meyer Lemon Juice
Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped
juice of 1 large Meyer lemon
good sprinkle of salt
good sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/2 pound cooked Cappellacci pasta (or use any shape you like)

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes.
2. Add broccoli rabe and saute until it wilts on medium heat: be careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add Meyer lemon juice and season with salt and red pepper flakes.
4. Add cooked pasta and mixed all ingredients together.
5. Check for seasoning and serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

This is great for lunch or dinner and keeps well as leftovers: you can even add a fried or poached egg on top and a bit of grated cheese.

What pasta dishes have you cooked lately?

INSTAGRAM

Looking for something?

Jewelry

Stats