Category Archives: Pasta

Romantic Valentines Day Dinners

Happy Valentines Day!

Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas

Are you staying in for Valentine’s Day and are looking for something special to cook for your sweetheart?  Here are some ideas for making a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner at home.

Coconut Shrimp

coconut_shrimp

Sweet (Pepper) Hearts Salad

Red Pepper Hearts Salad for Valentine's Day

Seafood Baked Ziti

Seafood Baked Ziti

Red Velvet Poke Cake

Red Velvet Poke Cake

Have plenty of candles lit and wine chilled.  Use your Valentine’s Bouquet for the table centerpiece.  Have a wonderful, romantic Valentine’s Day!

 

Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken & Pasta

Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken & Pasta

Bang Bang Chicken Pasta or Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Tonight I had a craving for something out of reach – Bang Bang Shrimp.  So I decided to make something like it, at home.  Since I didn’t have enough shrimp to make a decent meal for 3, I used chicken breast instead.  The result was fabulous!  Introducing my Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken Pasta recipe!

bang_bang_sauce
Bang Bang Sauce Recipe

This sauce is so tasty, I’d love to have it on everything!  Well, almost everything.  It’s sweet, spicy, garlicky and citrusy (is that a word?), all rolled into one.  It nicely coats the pasta and the shrimp or chicken, and brings this one dish wonder to a level of it’s own.

This is a quick meal to prepare, great for a weeknight dinner.  Fast, easy clean up and delicious – a busy, working mom’s dream.  This recipe is a keeper so be sure to pin it!

Here’s how you make my delicious Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken Pasta Recipe:

First, prep your shrimp or chicken.  Julienne 2 carrots and slice 2 green onions.  Bring a pot of water to boil for cooking your pasta.

Mix together the Bang Bang Sauce ingredients in a bowl.  Set aside.

Saute the chicken or shrimp, as instructed below.  Add carrot and onion to frying pan and lower heat to low.

Bang Bang Chicken

Boil pasta until al dente’.  Drain.  Add to cooked chicken or shrimp, top with Bang Bang sauce, stir and Enjoy!

Here is the recipe for Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken Pasta:

INGREDIENTS

3/4 – 1 lb of fettuccine, linguine, thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 1/2 lbs of diced chicken breast or shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp – coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp Paprika
2 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, julienned
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise to lower calories
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of lime juice
1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta and drain well.

Place the uncooked chicken or shrimp in a medium sized bowl and add the paprika, 3 cloves of garlic and pepper.

Heat the coconut oil on medium high heat and add the coated uncooked chicken or shrimp. Stir constantly while cooking until shrimp is pink for approx. 7- 10 minutes, or chicken is no longer pink inside.

Remove from heat and set aside if pasta is not ready.

In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, shrimp and sauce mixture and toss.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken & Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken & Pasta

Ingredients

3/4 – 1 lb of fettuccine, linguine, thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

1 1/2 lbs of diced chicken breast or shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tbsp – coconut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp Paprika

2 green onions, sliced

2 carrots, julienned

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bang Bang Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise to lower calories

1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp of lime juice

1/8 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta and drain well.

Place the uncooked chicken or shrimp in a medium sized bowl and add the paprika, 3 cloves of garlic and pepper.

Heat the coconut oil on medium high heat and add the coated uncooked chicken or shrimp. Stir constantly while cooking until shrimp is pink for approx. 7- 10 minutes, or chicken is no longer pink inside.

Remove from heat and set aside if pasta is not ready.

In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, shrimp and sauce mixture and toss.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

https://cookingwith.sharonspringfield.com/blog/bang-bang-shrimp-or-chicken-pasta/

Creamy Chicken Cavatelli

Creamy Chicken Cavatelli

 

Here is a great recipe for an easy weeknight dinner – Creamy Chicken Cavatelli.  This is what I like to call a One Pot Wonder.  This recipe is great to use up leftover cooked chicken.  I used a leftover rotisserie chicken and items found in my pantry.  This goes together quick so you can have dinner ready in 20 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Cavetelli

Ingredients:

1 box cavatelli pasta, cooked & drained
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, drained
1 jar garlic alfredo sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup chicken broth

Stir together the ingredients listed above in a big pot on the stovetop. Heat on medium until sauce is hot.

Chicken CavatelliThis is good comfort food made from leftover roasted chicken and stuff from the pantry.  If it’s easy, it’s for me!  Hope you like it. 🙂

Chicken Cavatelli

Seafood Baked Ziti

Seafood Baked Ziti

This was originally going to be a seafood lasagna but I had worked all day and was ready to be off my feet, so I just quickly threw this together as a casserole.  It was amazing!  Loved it so much that Seafood Baked Ziti is going to be a frequent flier in my dinner recipe rotation.

Seafood Baked Ziti

8 oz. ziti, cooked al dente’
15 oz. jar Alfredo Sauce
8 oz. pkg imitation crab (surimi), chopped – or real crab meat
1/2 pound peeled, deveined cooked shrimp, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fat free half & half
1/4 Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons Kraft Italian cheese blend
2 slices Swiss cheese, diced
2 Tbs siced red bell pepper & sliced scallions with additional for garnish

In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except for the garnish.  Pour into a 2 quart casserole and bake in preheated 350º F oven for 15 – 20 minutes.  (Just until heated through and cheeses melt)

Seafood Baked Ziti

Pin it!  Here’s the link: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/280278776784119409/

Seafood Baked Ziti

Sharon Springfield

Sharon Springfield  

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

 

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
4 ounces linguine, cooked al dente
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion
1-2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.  In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through.  Pour over hot linguine and toss with Parmesan cheese.
2  Servings

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Sharon Springfield

Sharon Springfield  

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Cajun Chicken Pasta