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Okay, this isn't really Giada's recipe for Pasta Ponza, but it's what I based this recipe off of. It was so easy and so delicious. I especially love pasta dishes because they're so great as leftovers for lunch the next day, and this was just as good reheated the next day.
One of the secrets of this recipe is tossing the hot pasta with cheese immediately. The cheese sticks to the hot pasta, and then the sauce will stick to the cheese. It was fantastic. We loved this, and we'll definitely make it again.
Pasta Ponza
Cooking spray
13.25 oz penne pasta (I used whole wheat pasta)
1 cup (or 6 oz) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a shallow glass baking dish with cooking spray, and place the halved tomatoes in the dish. Drizzle olive oil on top of the tomatoes, sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes, and cool for 5 minutes.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook until tender but still firm to the bite. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Place the hot pasta in a large serving bowl, and toss immediately with the cheese. Spoon the tomato mixture on top of the pasta, and mix. Thin the sauce with the pasta water, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle the fresh basil on top. Serve immediately.
On Saturday evening, as I was cooking dinner, I heard a faint noise somewhere in the house. I couldn't find anything in the living room, so I looked in the dark bedroom and saw nothing at first glance. It wasn't until I was turning to leave the room that something caught the corner of my eye: Teak lying on the dresser. That's right. On the dresser. I have no idea why.
This was absolutely fantastic! This is just as good, if not better, than the best chicken and rice you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant. It will have to be a once-a-week meal in this house.
I could have done more with the presentation in the photo to wow you, so if the photo doesn't do it for you, please try this recipe anyway. It was delicious, and the leftovers were great, too! Thank you, Steph at Plain Chicken, for sharing the recipe!
Pollo Loco
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle marinade
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice--not instant (but I used medium grain and it was fine)
1 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 tsp taco seasoning
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 container Mexican queso (I used Gordon's cheese dip)
Marinate chicken breasts in Baja Chipotle marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (overnight is best). When ready, grill chicken until done (165 degrees).
While the chicken is grilling, prepare the rice.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden (8-10 minutes). While rice is cooking, sprinkle with taco seasoning.
Stir in onion flakes, chicken broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Heat cheese dip according to package directions, and set aside.
To assemble the pollo loco, spoon 1/4 of the rice on a plate, top with a chicken breast, and spoon 2-3 tablespoons of queso on top. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and cilantro, if desired.
I saw this recipe in a Southern Living cookbook, and since I had just made banana bread, I couldn't help but try it out. YUM. This was delicious! If you want to make your own banana bread, you can of course use the recipe for Almost No Fat Banana Bread, but you could easily just buy a loaf at the bakery. This would be great at brunch with a mimosa, or you could use it as an appetizer at a party. It's wonderful.
Banana Bread Bruschetta
1 loaf banana bread
Goat cheese
Apricot or pear preserves
Slice banana bread into half-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice in half, and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil 6 inches from heat for 2 minutes. Spread each slice evenly with 2 tsp goat cheese and 1/2 tsp apricot or pear preserves.
Do you like how my natural reaction is to spread cream cheese all over the banana bread that has almost no fat? I do see the irony.
The bread really is delicious without any toppings though. It's very moist and has a great banana flavor. It's quick to put together, and it smells great coming out of the oven. I'm sure it would be great as muffins, too.
Almost No Fat Banana Bread
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs whites (or 1 egg)
1 cup banana, mashed (2 large bananas)
1/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease and 8"x4" loaf pan. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add egg whites, bananas, and applesauce; stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack and cool before slicing.
Oh my gosh. You will thank me for these little gems. They're completely delicious, pretty easy to put together, and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a casual dinner. They're really filling, too; the full recipe makes 12 rolls, but you could cut it to 6 rolls easily.
I slightly tweaked this Southern Living recipe, and I'll definitely make it again. As the recipe below notes, you can make them in a 10-inch skillet or round pan or a 9-jnch square glass dish. I tried to fit as many as I could (which was nine) in a 9-inch round pan, and the other three I put in my muffin-top pan. They all tasted equally delicious, but the ones in the muffin-top pan browned more quickly than the ones in the round pan.
Ham and Cheese Rolls
12 frozen biscuits (I used Mary B's)
All-purpose flour
¼ cup dijon mustard
1 Tbsp minced onion flakes
1 cup (4oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1 (9oz) container deli sliced ham, chopped or torn into pieces
Cooking spray
Arrange frozen biscuits, with sides touching, in three rows of four biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Let stand 30-45 minutes or until biscuits are thawed but still cool to the touch.
Sprinkle thawed biscuits lightly with flour. Press biscuit edges together, and pat to form a 12x10” rectangle of dough; spread evenly with mustard, and sprinkle minced onion flakes on top. Top evenly with the cup of shredded Swiss cheese and then with the ham.
Roll up, starting at 1 long end; cut into 12 (about 1” thick) slices. Place rolls into a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet, 10-inch round pan, or 9-inch square pan. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until center rolls are golden brown and done; cool slightly.
