Healthy and Yummy Pasta Recipes

Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time 45 minutes, plus 30 minutes inactive time
Total Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the salad dressing
2 teaspoons mustard
1/4 cup naturally fermented coconut vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
3 tablespoons naturally fermented soy sauce
3 tablespoons yogurt or sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
scant 3/4 cup corn or canola oil

For the chicken
2 teaspoons fresh ginger juice squeezed from grated ginger
1 tablespoon naturally fermented soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened
250 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4- x 1-inch fine strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup white onion, chopped finely
sea salt and white pepper to taste
pinch of chili flakes (optional)

For sautéing of mushrooms
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, re-hydrated in warm water for 15 minutes, squeezed dry and sliced into strips
sea salt and white pepper to taste
pinch of chili flakes (optional)

250 grams farfalle (bow tie) pasta or spiral pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 1/3 cups frozen green peas, cooked in simmering water for 2 minutes to soften

For garnish
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced finely
1/4 cup black olives, sliced into rings
1/3 cup spring onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup flat or curly parsley, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup toasted peanuts, chopped coarsely



Procedure:

1 Make the salad dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine mustard, vinegar, pepper, and soy sauce. Mix in yogurt and mayonnaise. Add oil gradually and according to taste. For a more tart dressing, add less oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; refrigerate.

2 Prepare the chicken: In a medium bowl, mix ginger juice, soy sauce, garlic, and yogurt. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.

3 In a heavy-bottom pan, heat oil and add onion; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes or until chicken is golden; season with salt and pepper and a pinch of chili flakes, if desired. Remove from heat; set aside.

4 Prepare the mushrooms: In the same pan, heat oil and add garlic; sauté until golden. Add mushrooms and sauté until browned; season with salt and pepper, and chili flakes, if desired. Add mushrooms to cooked chicken.

5 Assemble the salad: In a salad bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken-mushroom mixture, and peas. Toss with as much salad dressing as needed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving. Sprinkle with bell pepper, black olives, spring onion, parsley, and toasted peanuts before serving.

Serves 12 to 15
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 kilo fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
10 black olives, cut into rounds
12 green olives, cut into rounds
2/3 cup canned artichoke hearts (from a 240-gram can), quartered
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (56-gram) can anchovies, mashed into a paste
450 grams angel hair or capellini pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained well
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil



Procedure:

1 Combine tomatoes, basil, red wine vinegar, black and green olives, artichoke hearts, and red bell pepper. Marinate for an hour. Add anchovies and mix well.

2 In a bowl, place pasta and add enough oil to coat. Toss in tomato mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Make-ahead tip Prepare the tomato mixture up to 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator.

Serves 5
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the filling
1 kilo pumpkin, peeled and slices into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
vegetable oil, for drizzling
1 large roasted red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup pechay (green part only) or spinach, blanched and chopped finely
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

10 tubes cannelloni pasta, cooked according to package directions

For the cheese sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 teaspoon mustard
dash of nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons frozen butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil



Procedure:

1 Place cubed pumpkin on a baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 380°F oven for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and mash until smooth. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and drizzle some vegetable oil over all of it.

2 In a large bowl, mix together the mashed pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Season with remaining salt and pepper; mix well. Fill each cannelloni tube with pumpkin filling. Arrange on a buttered 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish. Set aside.

3 Make the cheese sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually add milk while stirring constantly. Add cream, cheese, mustard, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth.

4 Pour cheese sauce over cannelloni. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Grate butter over cannelloni. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Bake in preheated 380°F oven for 25 minutes or unto cheese is brown and bubbly.

Ingredients:

6 liters of water with 2 to 3 handfuls of coarse salt
300 grams penne

extra virgin olive oil for sautéing
1 1/2 cup blanched and seeded tomatoes
2 cups cream
salt and pepper to season
160 grams cubed mozzarella cheese, cubed
10 grams chopped fresh basil
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping



Procedure:

1 In a large pot, bring water with salt to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente. When the pasta is done, drain, leaving some pasta water. Set aside.

2 In a heavy saucepan, warm extra virgin olive oil and sauté seeded tomatoes. Add cream and season with salt and pepper. Add in pasta then lower heat to medium flame and add mozzarella cheese and basil. Transfer to a serving platter and finish with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

500 grams elbow or penne pasta
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup quickmelt cheese, shredded
8 slices cooked ham, diced



Procedure:

1 Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2 Cook 500 grams elbow or penne pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

3 In a pan, meltbutter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in 4 cups milk until smooth. Cook, stirring continuously, until mixture is thick and bubbly, about 6 to 8 minutes.

4 Stir in cheddar cheese and quickmelt cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in cooked ham.

5 Transfer to ramekins. Top with cheddar and quick-melt cheeses. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8
Prep Time 1 hour
Cooking Time 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 kilo lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

For the filling
1 whole garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
500 grams lean ground beef
1 can chorizo de Bilbao or sausage, sautéed and chopped coarsely
1 kilo bacon, diced and fried
2 (500-gram) packs tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

For the white sauce
1 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/4 to 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese



Procedure:

1 Make the filling: Sauté garlic and onions until tender. Add the ground beef and sauté until brown. Add the chorizo, bacon, and tomato sauce; simmer for 30 minutes. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

2 Make the white sauce: Melt butter and combine with flour, making a paste. Pour in the evaporated milk and boil, stirring continuously. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

3 Assemble the pasta: Get a sheet of lasagna and place a mound of filling on one end of the sheet; roll. Repeat with the remaining lasagna sheets and filling. Place the rolled and filled noodles beside one another in a deep baking dish or a roasting pan. Pour white sauce over the filled pasta. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella.

4 Broil in the oven at 400ºF until cheese is melted and golden.