Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Pasta Florentine



“What do you eat for dinner in the summer?”  

This is the dilemma for hot cooks everywhere.   If you are the one in charge of cooking dinner at your house you probably have this same dilemma.  In the summer I want something that is tasty but that won’t heat my whole house up.   We often end up eating pasta with veggies. 
If you have fresh veggies on hand feel free to substitute.


Pasta Florentine
  • 2 c egg noodle pasta
  • 1⁄2 c freeze dried sausage crumbles
  • 1 c freeze dried zucchini
  • 1⁄2 c freeze dried mushroom pieces
  • 1 c freeze dried red bell peppers
  • 1⁄4 c freeze dried chopped onion
  • 1⁄2 c freeze dried tomato dices
  • 1⁄4 c freeze dried chopped spinach
  • 1 t garlic, minced
  • 2 1⁄2 c broth chicken bouillon
  • 1 tsp each parsley, basil, chives
  • 1⁄2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Precook noodles until almost tender in salted water. In a large sauté pan, bring sausage, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, onions, garlic, and bouillon and to a simmer; reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes.

Add noodles and seasoning to the pan and warm through. Fold in tomatoes, spinach, and herbs. Drizzle olive oil over top to serve. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Note: It’s best to use fresh basil, parsley, and chives, but if using dry herbs you need ⅓ less as a general rule.

Recipe by Chef Todd, shared with permission