Friday, April 06, 2007

RED PEPPER FETA PASTA WITH SPINACH SALAD

I am stealing this Foodie Friday right from the Food Network. Unfortunately, I don’t know what show I was watching when I saw this recipe so I can’t give it proper credit, although the spinach in both the pasta and the salad was my idea. All I know is that it was a white lady with short brown hair that got the ball rolling. The feta sauce is great because it has the taste and feel of an alfredo without the heavy cream and all the fattier cheeses.

Salad- 1 serving
-2 cups fresh spinach
-3 artichoke hears, halved
-Few slices red onion
-½ tomato cut into wedges
-3 kalmata olives, halved and pitted
-Little bit of feta sprinkled on top

Salad Dressing- 3 servings
-2 tbsp store bought pesto (you can make your own if you are cool or allegic to pine nuts)
-2tbsp balsamic vinegar
-Stir

Pasta- 4-6 servings
-1 package whole wheat rottini
-1 normal sized (yeah I suck at measuring and noting sizes remember) package feta cheese, feel free to use fat free cause it was delicious (less a little to sprinkle over the salad)
-4 roasted red peppers julienned (I buy the kind in water so they aren’t as oily)
-1 onion diced any kind you like. I like the sweet ones.
-2 cloves garlic minced
-3tbsp olive oil

-Heat the olive oil over medium heat
-Add onion and cook for two minutes
-Add garlic and cook for two more minutes
-Add roasted red pepper cook for about 3 minutes
-While things are cooking, put feta in a food processor or blender, blend
-Add pepper mixture to the food processor, blend
-Be shocked at how well this turns into a creamy sauce
-Saute about a cup of spinach in the already hot sauce, pan when limp (2-3 min) stir into the sauce
-Serve over whole wheat pasta (this sauce holds up really well to the thicker taste of whole wheat pasta so I thought it was perfect)
Enjoy

This meal was not only beautiful but was utterly delicious. Unlike most alfredo sauces this one reheats well. It was a most phenomenally quick meal to prepare and looked and tasted like some serious five star cooking. It didn’t even need seasoning, the feta is salty enough and, while pepper may have been fine it wasn’t necessary.

What happened to/ The world we knew/ When we were dreaming, scheming/ Whiling the time away.

Megan/ She don’t eat bacon/ She never killed a sweet innocent little piggy to get bacon.

Little salamander/ Where did you go/ Edge of the yard/ I found you, you know/ All brown and hard. Body, The Presidents of the United States of America. Identified by Katrina

I can’t disguise the pounding of me heart/ It beats so strong/ It’s in your eyes/ what can I say/ They turn me on. Take Me With You, Prince. Identified by Mom.

Well I heard there was a secret cord/ That David played and pleased the lord/ But you don’t really care for music do ya. Halleluja, Jeff Buckley (how was she to know what version). Identified by Mom.

6 comments:

thethinker said...

If only I could cook...

Anonymous said...

The food sounds great! I love that you are providing recipes that are kitchen-tested, healthy, and delicious. I also love your "side comments" about the recipes (like "be shocked...").

What on earth happened with the songs? Did your iPod moosh all its music together? And did you take pity on me and decide to add "songs my mom knows" back into the mix again?

I can’t disguise the pounding of me heart/ It beats so strong/ It’s in your eyes/ what can I say/ They turn me on.
--"Take Me With You" by Prince, from Purple Rain

Well I heard there was a secret cord/ That David played and pleased the lord/ But you don’t really care for music do ya.
"Halleluja" by Leonard Cohen (although I know Jeff Buckley's version better)

Traveling Matt said...

Mom,
I totally prefer Jeff Buckley's version.

Nat,
Make this for me. No red onions or pine nuts please. How's Wednesday?

Danielle said...

One of the few times I know a random lyric (Prince) I didn't guess in time.
Another yummy recipe.

Have a great weekend.

Blondie said...

Yum, this sounds so good, but just like thethinker, I have to say, "if only..."

Foofa said...

Thinker- I'm finding something so easy you can do it for next week. Maybe.

Mom- I don't know what happened to my songs. I think when I transferred the post from word it didn't like the spacing.

Monica- I will make it for you but not on Wed cause I have purchased all my food until payday and have no money left over to buy ingredients. I actually prefer neither version as I think both have great attributes.

Danielle- You can always also guess, sometimes I will put two people up and since mom has no blog (although she should cause it would be funny) she gets no links.

Blondie- I let the thinker slide on “if only” because she is 17. You are grown. This has all of four steps one of which is making pasta. The others are chop (a tiny bit), stir and blend. I think you can do it!