Experiment: Easy Tortellini

I made this the other day when we needed a super quick dinner and had some cottage cheese I needed to use. I will definitely make it again!

Easy Tortellini

1 pkg. frozen cheese tortellini
26.5 oz can of spaghetti sauce (I use the Del Monte stuff that costs $0.84)
1 c. cottage cheese
Basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste
(For the flakes, I gave the spice jar about 5 shakes... 2 for the powders)

Boil the tortellini according to package directions and drain. In same pot, add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium until heated through. Serve with garlic toast.

Experiment: Cashew Penne Pasta

I was at my parents house one night with several of my siblings and their families when dinner time rolled around. I offered to figure out some thing for all of us to eat, and raided my parents' pantry to see what was available. This is what I came up with! It is a take-off of Ravioli with Garlic and Pine nuts (check out that post here). It turned out very yummy and even won over the skeptics (especially my mom!). Warning: I didn't actually measure anything when I made this, so everything below is just a estimate.

Cashew Penne Pasta

1 pkg. penne pasta, cooked according to directions
1/2 c. butter or margarine
3/4 c. cashews (I used salted ones)
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic (the first time I made it, I just used garlic powder...1-2 tsp)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Melt butter in saucepan over medium/low heat. Toast cashews and seasonings in butter for 10-15 minutes. Toss pasta with butter/cashew mix. Enjoy!

Ravioli with Garlic and Pine nuts

Source: my sister-in-law

I was at WinCo (the best grocery store) and saw that they had dried cheese ravioli in their bulk food section. What a great thing for food storage! So I bought some to try out before I stocked up. I fixed them up for dinner with this awesome recipe that I got from my sister-in-law:

(Umm...she didn't give me any measurements-a sign that she is a good cook, I think- so I kinda made these up on my own. Do whatever you think would be good.)

3 handfuls dried ravioli, boiled*
1 stick butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 TBS parsley
1/3 c. pine nuts

Toast the garlic, parsley, and pine nuts in the butter over low heat. The trick is not to burn the butter. Mix in the cooked ravioli until it is well coated and serve.

This was the first time I have ever used pine nuts, and they are pretty tasty, although pretty pricey too. I will have to find more things to use them in. This dish was so delicious we had it twice this past week!

*With the dried ravioli, you really need to make sure that it is done. The second time I made this dish, I just boiled them until they floated which usually means they are done. Not so in this case! Boil them for at least 15 minutes, I'd say, maybe longer. Definitely check to make sure they are done before adding them to the butter mixture.

Experiment: Southwestern Pasta over Rice

I was on my way home today around 4:30pm and realized I needed to have dinner ready within 30 minutes (so we could eat before heading out for the evening). Since I hadn't even thought about what we should have, I started brainstorming what I had on hand, and this is what I came up with:


Southwestern Pasta over Rice

1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can cream of chicken soup + a half can of milk
1/2 pkg. extra-wide egg noodles
1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
Minute rice

After boiling and draining the pasta, in the same pot add the rest of the ingredients except the rice. Heat over medium until heated through. Serve over rice.

The verdict: It was okay. Definitely had to add some salt and pepper at the table. Yet, it still lacked some flavor. It made plenty, so with the leftovers tomorrow I think I will try to add some salsa and see how it goes. A definite pro is that it can be made from entirely from food storage items.

* Update: I stirred in a little salsa to the leftovers and {viola!} flavor! Not much is needed at all--I would estimate maybe 1/2 cup for the entire dish. I also thought about maybe adding sour cream for a little tang instead of the salsa, or spices such as cummin... I will definitely have to experiment more with this one. Leave me a comment with any suggestions or if you try something that works!