Ravioli and Tomatoes with Bunches of Basil

This is one of my very, very favorite pasta salads...especially in the summer when the tomatoes are at their peak. I think I could eat the whole thing by myself! I prefer it just slightly warm or room temperature.

1 pound fresh ravioli or tortellini
1 package of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (or more if you really love tomatoes)
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1/2 c. your favorite type of olive
3 T. capers, rinsed
1/4 c. olive oil
lots of basil (a couple of handfuls, torn into pieces)
red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Put tomatoes and artichokes into large bowl. Add basil, olives, capers, and oil. Toss well. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Add to the bowl and toss gently with a spatula. Taste for salt and add salt, pepper, and vingegar to taste.

Chicken Tetrazzini

No Campbell's cream of whatever soup here! I made this on the spur of the moment one night when we had drop-in company, and it turned out great. I had a ziploc with some cooked chicken in my freezer (part of my "one chicken, five meals experiment" that I'll write about later), and it made it a quick, yummy dinner.

1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (see note below)
2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded or chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 c. white wine
4 c. milk
1/3 c. flour
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. panna
1/8 t. nutmeg
3/4 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 c. parmesan
1/4 c. fine bread crumbs
1 package pasta, linguine, etc. (plan on 100 g. per person including children)

Over medium heat, saute the mushrooms in oil until done and liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add 1 T. butter. Then add onions, garlic, and thyme. Saute till veggies are tender. Add wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms and veggies to a bowl with the thawed, chopped chicken.

Melt 3 T. butter in same pan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, broth, cream, nutmeg, 1 1/2 t. salt and 3/4 t. pepper. Increase heat to high. Cover and bring to boil, then simmer uncovered till sauce thickens (about 1 minute). Whisk often during this time.

Cook pasta. Add frozen peas to pasta during last 30 seconds before draining. Drain. Add pasta, peas, sauce, and parsley to chicken/mushroom mixture. Toss until well-coated.

Transfer pasta to buttered 9x13 baking dish. Top with parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake uncovered till bubbly, approximately 20 minutes.

Note: This recipe was inspired by Giada's Chicken Tetrazzini in her Family Dinners cookbook which I love. In the original recipe, she cooks 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and uses that chicken for the meal. Honestly, with little kids, I'm always trying to simplify, and having chicken already cooked and in the freezer makes this a much more doable recipe for a normal week night for me. Also, while I love mushrooms, my kids do not. So if I'm in a generous mood, I will leave the mushrooms out...it's much better with them, but doable without.

Farfalle e Ceci

This recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. It's a huge cookbook, and I've only dented the surface on it, but it has a lot of great stuff in it. I may even use the intro to the book as a cooking unit for teaching R how to cook. Anyway, this is a great recipe for lunch or a light dinner.

3 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. parsley, chopped
1 can ceci, drained and rinsed
500 g. farfalle pasta
salt
pepper
fresh parmesan
1/2 c. bread crumbs

Warm half of the oil in a large skillet with the garlic and parsley. Add the ceci and 1/2 c. water and simmer gently over medium heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and add to the ceci. Toss and taste for salt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining oil. Served topped with parmesan and/or a sprinkling of bread crumbs.