Nature and me

Staying home has forced me to be creative in the kitchen.  A few staple items I recommend to always have in your food pantry are your favorite pasta, olive oil, olives, a jar of artichokes, red pepper flakes, and a jar of minced garlic.

  When cooking pasta, I try to cook the right amount I need for a recipe.  There are times, however, when I make too much pasta and don’t know what to do with the extra noodles.  So to be creative and with trial and error, I have come up with a few recipes that are perfect when you have leftover pasta.   Enjoy!

Artichoke & Cucumber Pasta Salad 

     What you need:

Left over pasta

Veggies

A jar of artichokes  

Cheese (whatever cheese you like)

Olive oil

Note: I like to buy jar artichokes that are marinated, that way you can use some of the liquid to be a vinaigrette to your salad.  If you don’t have any veggies, you can make a simple pasta salad with olives, artichokes, and cheese.   

Start by…

Dice veggies and mix them along with your leftover pasta in a large bowl.  Add artichoke and cheese to the mix.  Drizzle some olive oil and a splash of the marinade from the jar of artichokes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Shrimp Penne

For this recipe you will need:

-Frozen or fresh shrimp

-Minced garlic (fresh or jarred)

-Red pepper flakes 

-Any veggie you have

-Can of diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

-Olive oil 

-Cheese (preferably mozzarella or Parmesan)  

Directions

First, drizzle your pan with olive oil and add garlic.  When your garlic is golden, add your shrimp and veggies.  Coat your shrimp with the olive oil and garlic and cook the shrimp for about 5 minutes.  Add your tomatoes and let it simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes before adding your leftover pasta.  Top your shrimp penne with some cheese and dig in! 

Chili Pasta

The simplest recipe of all!

  Ingredients:

Can of chili 

Leftover pasta

Shredded cheese

Next Step…

In a pot big enough to heat both chili and pasta, pour chili contents and cook.  Follow the packaging instructions on how long to heat the chili. Once your chili is cooked, add your leftover pasta.  Stir and let it simmer until the pasta is warm enough to eat.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese and serve.     

Love pasta as much as I do? What are some of your favorite go-to pasta dishes?  Share and comment below.