BAKED PENNE ALLA VODKA WITH PESTO

 I go this recipe from https://wholeandheavenlyoven.com/2022/03/07/baked-penne-alla-vodka-with-pesto/

So far, I've made my own vodka sauce because I prefer a plant based vodka sauce made with cashews. Otherwise I follow this recipe using a store bought vegan pesto. It's delicious! 

Ingredients

Vodka Sauce

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 large whole basil leaves
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Baked Penne Alla Vodka

• 1 lb penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto (jarred or homemade)
• 1 (8 oz) ball fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh minced basil for topping

Instructions

Vodka Sauce

• In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add shallot and saute 2-3 minutes until golden-brown. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 1 additional minute until just fragrant.
• Add tomato paste, vodka, whole tomatoes, and basil leaves to pot. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer 20-30 minutes until slightly reduced.
• Discard basil leaves, transfer sauce to a blender and blend on high speed until sauce is smooth. Pour sauce back into pot and stir in heavy cream. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Penne Alla Vodka

• Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
• Stir penne pasta into sauce until evenly combined. Scrape pasta into prepared baking dish. Drop pesto by spoonfuls over top and swirl into pasta.
• Top pasta with fresh mozzarella slices and Parmesan. Bake penne at 400F 20-25 minutes until pasta is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned.
• Top penne with fresh basil and serve warm. Enjoy!

Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

I always want to give credit to where I got my recipes. This is from https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/baked-feta-pasta/#wprm-recipe-container-31658

Baked feta pasta is a simple recipe made by oven roasting a block of feta cheese with cherry tomatoes to create a salty and cheesy sauce!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces dried cavatappi pasta or pasta of choice
• ▢ 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 8- ounce block feta cheese
• ▢ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ ¼ cup packed chopped fresh basil plus more for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top, and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined.
• Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish surrounded by the cherry tomatoes, and flip a couple times to coat it with the olive oil and seasoning.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst, and the feta cheese melts.
• While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid in case you'd like to toss it in.
• Immediately add the garlic and basil leaves to the cooked tomatoes and feta and toss everything to combine.
• Transfer the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve warm.

  

Spicy Chili Garlic Noodles

I found this recipe on https://eatwithclarity.com/spicy-chili-garlic-noodles/

It's super easy and really delicious.

 

Spicy Chili Garlic Noodles

by: claire cary

These spicy chili garlic noodles are ready in about 15 minutes and FULL of flavor. They're gluten free and vegan but delicious with some extra stir fried veggies and your choice of protein!

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 20 mins

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces rice noodles I used wide rice noodles
• ▢ 2 shallots sliced
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1/3 cup chopped scallions/green onions just the white part, save the green for garnish!
• ▢ 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• ▢ 1 tbsp oil I used olive, vegetable oil works too!
• ▢ 4-5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari depending on how salty/saucy you like it
• ▢ 1-3 tbsp chili garlic sauce depending on brand and spice preference, click for the one I used
• ▢ 1 tbsp brown sugar can sub coconut sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp sriracha more or less to taste
• ▢ 2 tsp rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional for extra spice

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions.
• Add the shallots and garlic to a pot and saute with the oil until browned, about 10 minutes. 
• Add the white part of the scallions and the grated ginger and saute for 2-3 more minutes. 
• Add in all remaining sauce ingredients and whisk together. Start on the low end of the recommended amounts of sriracha and chili sauce (1 tbsp or less for each). It's very easy to make it more spicy if you want, but if it ends up too spicy for you, it's hard to tone it down! Everyone has different tolerance levels, hence the big ranges. 
• When the noodles are done cooking, combine with the sauce and toss until well coated. Let simmer for a few minutes to allow the noodles to absorb the flavors. I also tossed in two diced roasted red peppers, but you can also add in any sauteed veggies you like! Taste and adjust flavors as desired. The first bite might not seem that spicy, but it gets spicier the more you eat, so have a few bites before you decide to add extra sriracha or red chili flakes! Serve as is or with any other vegetables or protein of choice. I love adding in bok choy, carrot or cabbage with chicken or tofu. 
• Top with red chili flakes for more spice and the remaining chopped scallions. Enjoy!

Notes

Instead of the roasted red pepper from a can, you can just use a raw red bell pepper and saute it before adding it into the noodles. I just prefer the flavor and ease of using store bought roasted pepper!

While this dish is designed to be spicy, you can make it very mild if you prefer. Just omit the sriracha and decrease the chili garlic paste. Start small and add more as needed!

If you only have regular strength soy sauce/tamari and not low sodium, start with about 2 tbsp instead of 4 and add more as needed so it doesn't get too salty. 

Serving: 1bowl /  Calories: 299kcal /  Carbohydrates: 53g /  Protein: 4g /  Fat: 7g /  Saturated Fat: 1g / Fiber: 1g /  Sugar: 4g

Parmesan Chickpea Soup

This is a great recipe that was shared with me from https://www.howsweeteats.com/2022/01/parmesan-chickpea-soup/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ sweet onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 parmesan rind
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• ¾ cup tiny-cut pasta, like ditalini or farfallini
• 5 ounces frozen spinach or 8 ounces fresh spinach
• parmesan cheese, for topping
• lemon wedges, for spritzing

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes.
• Stir in the chickpeas, parmesan rind and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add in your pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente - this will be determined on the box of pasta you use - somewhere between 8 and 12 minutes.
• Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the spinach. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper. Top with lots of parmesan cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve with a lemon wedge for spritzing.
  

  
  
  

Gigi Hadid Pasta (Spicy Vodka Pasta)

 

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3.46 from 33 votes

Gigi Hadid Pasta (Spicy Vodka Pasta)

This Spicy Vodka Pasta (a.k.a Gigi Hadid Pasta) is a TikTok Viral Pasta Recipe made with pasta tossed in a rich creamy sauce. Find out how to make it with and without vodka!

Course:Main dish

Cuisine:American

Keywords:Gigi Hadid Pasta, spicy vodka pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories842 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 1.00 per person

Equipment

• 1 pot
• 1 pan
• 1 cutting board
• 1 Chef's knife
• 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients

• 8 oz Orecchiette or shell pasta, fusilli, penne, farfalle (bowtie), or conchiglie. 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil 
• ¼ red onion small diced (or 3 shallots, minced)
• 3 cloves of garlic minced 
• ¼ cup tomato paste NOT TOMATO SAUCE
• ½ cup heavy cream you may replace it with half-and-half to cut down on the fat
• 1 tablespoon vodka YOU CAN SKIP IT
• Fresh basil leaves Use about 6 small leaves for the sauce and a few more for garnish. Many recipes call for chiffonade or chopped basil but the basil scent and flavor come from the oils. By chopping the leaves, you expose more of the oils to the air. The ideal is to use SMALL whole leaves for sauces.
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more for a spicier pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter you can omit it to cut down on the fat
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook the pasta: Make sure to follow the directions in the package. When the pasta is done (al dente), save ½ cup of the pasta water before draining. More of the starchy pasta water will make the sauce saucier.  Set aside!
• Make the sauce: Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, and cook the onion (or shallots) until soft. Then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it appears “darker in color and a bit caramelized”, says Gigi Hadid.
• Add in the heavy cream and then the vodka (optional). Cook until vodka has evaporated (about 2 minutes). NOTE: For extra flavor, you may add a few small leaves of basil to the sauce at this point!
• Add in salt and pepper to taste, and also the red pepper flakes. Keep stirring until combined and the sauce is mostly creamy and thickened.
• Right before adding the pasta, add in the butter. Stir over low heat until the butter has melted.
• Add the cooked pasta – and the pasta water – to the sauce.
• Stir in the parmesan cheese and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Make sure the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.
• Serve this spicy vodka pasta topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and basil to garnish. Enjoy!