I love making quick, healthy pasta dishes that my kids enjoy. I figured, the lemon dill sauce will give the pasta a refreshing touch since it is really hot these days. It was just the perfect sauce for it also because the pasta absorbs some of the flavor and makes the recipe even more tasty.

One thing I love is that pasta recipes are very versatile. If you don’t like some of the veggies I used go ahead and use any of your choice. Anything goes.

This lemon dill pasta recipe will also keep well in the fridge so if you have left overs  like I did they will be great the next day.

For this recipe I used this new chickapea pasta that was nothing but sensational. This chickapea pasta is made with only 2 ingredients. Lentils and chickpeas, how awesome is that! Thus it is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and suitable for everyone and anyone. The nutrition content is far more superior than regular pasta so from now on I think I will consuming it more often. Some key facts about this pasta:

• Nothing artificial. No added sugars. Only chickpeas & lentils.
• Chickapea Pasta contains 27 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber per 3.5oz serving.
• It is gluten free, vegan, organic, kosher and non-GMO, making it a healthy addition to any meal.
• Chickapea Pasta tastes like pasta – the stuff you love and crave.

If you want to find out where to buy the chickpeas pasta make sure you visit this link to find out a source near you.

Enjoy!

Lemon dill pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 16 oz chickapea and lentil pasta
• 9 oz shredded red coleslaw
• 8 oz fresh broccolini
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes
• 1 oz fresh dill, chopped
• 3 tsp olive oil

Sauce

• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 4 lemons, juice
• 1/2 tsp celtic salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh crushed pepper

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta cooks, in a small mixing bowl add the sauce ingredients and combine. Set aside.

In a large saute pan add the olive oil and tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes until they start to char. Set aside. Add the broccolini and coleslaw to the pan and saute for 3-5 minutes.

In a large bowl add the pasta, tomatoes, coleslaw mixture and sauce. Combine and serve immediately.

The post Lemon dill pasta appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am a huge fan of pasta recipes. Many people refrain from eating pasta because they are afraid that carbohydrates will make them fat. Carbohydrates always get a bad wrap and the reality is that carbohydrates should actually make up at least  55% of any regular diet. When eating good complex carbohydrates in place of simple carbohydrates as well as a variety of other foods there is nothing wrong with consuming them. So go ahead and it your pasta.

For this recipe you can use any type of pasta you like. You can even chose a gluten free variety, which I use often when making pasta recipes. Any type will work for this recipe so don’t be afraid to choose your favorite type.

To make this recipe I also use Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado Yogurt Dressing. It is pretty much all I needed to use to give this recipe tons of flavor. My daughter actually loved it so much she had second servings.

I love the fact that this is a recipe that I can easily make with my kids. I have been introducing my kids to cooking lately. I try to use easy, simple recipes that they could tackle on their own so when I got to make this recipe they were more than happy to help. They are only 7 and 10 years old but I think this is the perfect time to get them involved so that they can acquire a few cooking skills.

If you are like me and have very little time to spend in the kitchen this recipe would be the perfect dinner recipe for you. This easy avocado shrimp pasta recipe literally takes just about 15 minutes to put together. If you like to get creative you can even add any other type of protein and sliced avocados, anything goes.

I hope you get to make this easy avocado shrimp pasta and like it as much as we did.

Enjoy!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bolthouse Farms. The opinions and text are all mine. The end!

Easy avocado shrimp pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 lb cooked shrimp, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado Yogurt Dressing
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Combine well making sure the pasta is coated with the dressing.

Serve with extra parmesan cheese and chopped cilantro if you like.

The post Easy avocado shrimp pasta appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am not a big meat consumer but once in a while, since my family craves it, I try to incorporate it with pasta. I feel this is one of the best ways to do this. When ever I make sauces when making pasta I always make sure I use top quality ingredients.

This time around I used Mutti Parma Tomato sauce, “Passata” and finely chopped tomatoes, “Polpa”. Their products are top notch and their taste is superb. Their ingredient lists doesn’t include any type of artificial flavors or fillers. Just natural ingredients, which is right up my alley. In addition:

• • Mutti is Italy’s #1 canned tomato and all Mutti tomatoes are grown in Italy from the best producers/farmers.

• • Tomatoes are canned fresh to capture the most authentic color, flavor and aroma.

This spaghetti Bolognese recipe can also be done with turkey or chicken if you like. If you don’t like beef or prefer poultry instead you can make it that it that way. I have made it with poultry in the past and it works really well.

Another thing I have done before while making the same recipe is make a larger quantity for the sauce. Then what I do is freeze some batches so that I can have the same meal later on. This way the only thing I have to do is boil the pasta and have a meal done in about 10 minutes. Super convenient!

Well I hope you like this spaghetti Bolognese. Super easy to make, delicious and comforting.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Bolognese

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 16 oz ground beef
• 1 tbs dried oregano
• 14 oz can Mutti finely chopped tomatoes
• 24 oz Mutti tomato sauce
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• Chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Cook pasta to aldente stage and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch nonstick pan. Add ground beef and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using and cook the meat for about 5 minutes.

Add the white wine and cook until the wine is reduced, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt and stir to combine.

Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked. Turn the heat off and add the grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and served over the pasta.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mutti. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Spaghetti Bolognese appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

It literally takes no more than 20 minutes to put this recipe together.

As you can see I added tons of kale and spinach to this Gluten free kale and spinach pesto pasta. Any time I make pasta it pretty much has some sort of veggie, sometimes too much of it, but hey…you can’t never have too many veggies right? My kids did eat it so all was good with me.

I think I am going to start using more gluten free pasta from now on. Even though it is more expensive I like the fact that it is not so heavy. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love whole wheat pasta but I think because we use so much I am going to start switching it once in a while.

The pasta that I used was from Trade Joe’s. It was a mixture of quinoa and brown rice flour, which we liked, but you can use any other pasta of your choice. It doesn’t even have to be gluten free.

I actually made a very similar recipe a while back, which I also have in the blog. This time around I just used gluten free pasta and added some fresh kale which I love. I am adding kale to everything on site lately.

I don’t know if I told you that I got a new juicer. I am still waiting for it but the minute I get it you bet I will be juicing kale up and down left and right!

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this super easy gluten free kale and spinach pesto pasta. It will be done in just 20 minutes and it is delicious and healthy for you.

Enjoy!

Gluten free kale and spinach pesto pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 5 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 oz gluten free pasta, any of choice
• 4 oz fresh spinach
• 4 oz fresh baby kale
• 4 oz peas, frozen
• 7 oz pesto sauce
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp celtic salt
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instruction, about 8-10 minutes. Place peas in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 4 minutes, depending on the power of the microwave, until they are warm.

Transfer pasta to a big skillet pan and add the remainder of the ingredients.

Combine and serve with some extra parmesan cheese if desired.

The post Gluten free kale and spinach pesto pasta appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Not only this pasta recipe is quick and easy but it is extremely delicious. The Progresso recipe starter will allow you to have this recipe ready in no time. The minute you boil the pasta this fire roasted tomato pasta will be ready to go. It takes no more than 15-20 minutes to put together.

If you like you can also freeze leftovers and have later on. Pasta freezes rather well so for the days that you are extra busy this will be a healthy meal to defrost and have in no time.

I am not one to use prepared sauces but this sauce was really good. My kids really enjoyed it. I am glad I actually doubled the batch because pasta is always a great option for my kids. They never turn down pasta meals.

This fired roasted tomato pasta was great and adding the cherry tomatoes and spinach was a great call. I always like extra veggies and fresh produce in my pasta. The Parmesan cheese and parsley gives it the extra touch. You can use any other cheese of your choice, Pecorino Romano cheese is also a great option.

This fire roasted tomato pasta is great. Use whatever veggie staples you have in your fridge. This recipe is very versatile and the sauce can complement any type of produce. If you like some extra protein add some cooked chicken chunks to the skillet and mix in with the veggies. I am sure your family will love it!

Enjoy!

Compensation was provided by General Mills via Federated Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills.

For more easy dinner ideas, visit http://progresso.com/Products/Recipe-Starters

Fire roasted tomato pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes max!

Ingredients:

• 9 oz Progresso fire roasted tomato sauce, or canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 lb whole wheat penne
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 10 oz cherry tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp Celtic salt
• 1 tbs olive oil

Directions:

Boil pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is boiling prepare the veggies.

In a large non-stick skillet, over medium to high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute just until fragrant. Add the chopped cherry tomatoes and salt and saute for another minute. Add the fire roasted tomato sauce and combine with the tomatoes stirring for another minute. Turn the heat off and add the fresh spinach.

Add the cooked pasta, fresh parsley and parmesan cheese to the skillet and mix  the ingredients through. Serve while still warm with some extra parmesan cheese.

The post Fire roasted tomato pasta appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have enjoyed beef ragu before and while that is great I thought this one was awesome. I am a veggie person and I rely on vegetables much more than I do on meat and poultry. After all, I was a lacto-ovo-vegetarion for over 18 years. I do eat eat meat and poultry on occasion. Meat no so much, but chicken perhaps once or twice a month and it must be organic and cooked by me!

After making this vegetable ragu with pasta it came to mind that I should have doubled the sauce. It would have been perfect to freeze the leftovers and keep for subsequent meals. This sauce would freeze great so next time I make it I will sure make extra. I need to start getting my freezer stocked up with nutritious meals because come next week my schedule is going to be crazy for the next few months.

This vegetable ragu has become one of my favorite pasta sauces. It is a chunky and meaty, which comes from the mushrooms, and aromatic at the same time. This sauce is very different from others I have made so far. I think next time I might add a little bit of cumin to the mix and see how it tastes. Also, if you like, you can add some pepper flakes for some heat.

I hope you like this vegetable ragu with Pasta. We sure did and I know I am going to be making this vegetarian ragu for time to come. Hopefully next time I will remember to double the sauce so that I can freeze some.

Enjoy!

Here you can see how the mixture looks right at the beginning of cooking the veggies. Cook the onions and carrots for about 5 minutes until they have soften a little bit and add the garlic. Cook for one minute and follow by the mushrooms and spices.

Here you can see how the mushrooms have reduced. After they have done so, add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, parsley and parmesan and cook for about 8-10 minutes over medium heat to mix in the flavors.

Vegetable Ragu with Pasta

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 5 servings

Total Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin whole wheat spaghetti
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 lb canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 20 oz fresh mushrooms
• 2 oz fresh parsley

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Place the carrot chunks into your food processor and pulse until minced but not puree. Do the same with the onions and mushrooms. Alternately you can chopped by hand. Using the food processor saves tons of time though.

In a large 12 inch skillet, over medium to high heat, heat the extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, spices and salt and cook for 5 minutes until they have reduced. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and half the parley and cook over medium to low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Turn the heat off and add the remaining parsley and parmesan cheese. Serve over the pasta with some extra cheese if you like.

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