Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

My nana often made this meal for lunch with homemade garlic bread, salad (with oil and vinegar dressing and parmesan cheese) and iced tea with lemon.  It was such a treat for me and it still remains one of my favorite meals.

The photo and the following recipe comes from Ina Garten, but I make mine a different way . . . I think much easier!

My version starts off by getting my pasta water boiling (with lots of salt) and get the pasta cooking.

At the same time, I heat up a pan and melt about 1/2 stick of butter.  Add about 2 garlic cloves, making sure the garlic does not brown.

Angel hair pasta is what I prefer and the best thing is that it is ready in three minutes, so I have to work fast to put this all together.

As the garlic is sauteeing in the butter, I start adding pasta water little by little.  (You'll need to experiment with how much pasta water you add.)  I love the way the pasta water slightly thickens the butter and also brings lots of flavor!  Right before the pasta is done, I throw in a handful of parsley.

Add drained pasta to the mixture, along with about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  Mix together!  I always make sure that I have enough mixture to add to the pasta so that the pasta doesn't stick together.  I hate when that happens! Reserve some of the pasta water when draining in case you need more.

A note about my recipe . . . I prefer butter over olive oil because I really don't like the taste of olive oil.  You can use olive oil or a combination of both.  Whatever you prefer!  

All in all, I've got this recipe down to just five minutes from start to finish.  I've had lots of practice making it since I was a little girl!

The Food Network
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved
SHOW: Barefoot Contessa
EPISODE: Off Duty


Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound dried spaghetti, such as DeCecco
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges-don't overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

Mini Cheesecake Cookie Bites

What a cute and delicious idea!  

I didn't even know that cheesecake cups with removable bottoms existed!  Great concept for so many recipes :)

Just say cheesecake and you've got my attention!  You can't get any easier than this recipe for a last minute dessert to take to a party or just to enjoy at home.  

I've used other cheesecake recipes from Pillsbury's website and always get requests for the recipe.

Source:  Pillsbury

By Jocelyn Delk Adams
Publish Date: September 23, 2013

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 package Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ chocolate chip cookies
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipped cream topping (from aerosol can)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. 

Remove 12 dough rounds from cookie dough package; save remaining dough for a later use. 

Place 1 dough round in each of 12 mini cheesecake cups with removable bottoms.

Bake 14 minutes. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium to high speed 3 to 4 minutes until smooth. 

Using rubber spatula, gently fold in whipped cream topping.

Gently spoon or pour cream cheese mixture over each cooled cookie until cup is full; smooth top until flat. Freeze at least 3 hours to set.

Just before removing cheesecakes from freezer, place chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwavable bowl. 

Microwave on High in increments of 20 seconds until chocolate is completely melted. Beat mixture with whisk until smooth.

Once cheesecakes are firm, remove pan from freezer. Gently release cheesecakes from cups. Remove cup bottoms from cheesecakes; place on cooling rack. 

Decoratively drizzle melted chocolate over tops of cheesecakes. 

Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to set before serving.

Banana Fritters

Sandra Lee always has the easiest recipes that give the illusion of spending a lot of time in the kitchen when it was super fast!

I love having a variety of banana recipes . . . I hate throwing them away when they start to ripen a bit too much.

Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee
Recipe copyright Sandra Lee

The Food Network
SHOW: Sandra's Money Saving Meals
EPISODE: Affordable Entertaining

Ingredients

Fritters:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups baking mix
• 3 ripe bananas, diced
• 2 cups canola oil, for frying

Spiced Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions


For the fritters: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and sugar until blended. Stir in the baking mix and bananas until just combined.

Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the batter into the skillet. Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked through the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

For the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup water and pumpkin pie spice.

While the fritters are still warm, pour the glaze over top. Allow the glaze to set up slightly before serving.

Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

Red Lobster is my favorite restaurant!  I'm always happy to find their copycat recipes :)

I've never had this dish at Red Lobster, but it includes my favorites, pasta, alfredo sauce and crab . . . so it has got to be good.

Comments for this recipe recommended starting off with less parmesan cheese and add more a little at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces linguine
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or more)
• salt & pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 (8 ounce) cooked snow crabmeat, cut into chunks

Directions:

Cook linguine according to package.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook briefly until it looks sandy.

Do not let it color.

Whisk in the half-and-half and stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce.

Stir in the cheese and season to taste.

Simmer a few minutes to blend the flavors and stir in the crab meat. Cook just until the crab meat is heated through.

Serve over cooked linguine with additional parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the side.



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