Tag: pasta

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Spinach & Parmesan Orzo

My daughter is a self-described “carb-ivore” and it was always a struggle to get her to eat her vegetables (or anything other than starchy foods) as a kid. After one ill-fated attempt to convince her that cauliflower au gratin was made from noodles, I started improvising with recipes like this one. That said, this is a simple but satisfying side dish for many meals.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Orzo Pasta
  • 1 Large Clove Garlic
  • 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
  • 1/2 cup Frozen Spinach (thawed and drained)
  • 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

  1. Boil orzo per package directions. Drain and keep warm.
  2. Peel and finely mince garlic.
  3. In a large skillet, melt butter or margarine over medium heat.
  4. Add garlic to skillet and saute for about two minutes.
  5. Add spinach to skillet and cook until hot, stirring to mix well with garlic and butter or margarine.
  6. Reduce heat to low, and add cooked orzo to skillet. Mix vigorously until pasta is well combined with spinach mixture.
  7. Add parmesan to skillet and mix well.
  8. Remove from heat and serve, adding a little sprinkle of extra parmesan on top of each serving.
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Italian Meatballs

If you’re tired of hosing down your stove-top with degreaser after making meatballs, you’ll love this recipe. They are lighter and fluffier than your average meatball, and packed full of classic Italian flavor. You can also get creative with your meats by substituting ground lamb, venison, or turkey.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Large Onion, Finely Minced
  • 1 lb. Ground Beef
  • 1 lb. Ground Pork
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 4 Large Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
  • 1 tsp. Dried Parsley
  • 2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

  1. Add bread crumbs and milk to a small bowl and soak.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Saute onions in oil until translucent.
  4. Mix beef and pork in large bowl or stand mixer. (If using a stand mixer, make sure you’re using a slow setting to avoid pulverizing the meat.)
  5. Add cooked onions with oil, bread crumb mixture, eggs, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to bowl and mix until combined.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  7. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
  8. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. (Make sure you use a baking sheet with a raised lip all the way around unless you were planning on cleaning your oven tonight anyway.)
  9. Roll meat into balls of equal size, about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
  10. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until well browned.

Sneaky Trick: Keep your hands wet while rolling your meatballs to keep the mixture from sticking to your skin. After all, this isn’t exactly a batter you want to lick off your fingers.

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