Rigatoni with Chunky Vegetable Sauce

Loving pasta as I do, I don't quite eat it as often as I would like.  Just so full of carbs, and I've been cutting carbs.


Everyone once in a while I get a hankering for some pasta.  Gotta have some pasta my tummy says.  So I was reading some old recipes that I had cut out and came across this one in an old Everyday Food issue.  The fact that it advertised a "chunky vegetable sauce" caught my eye.  I mean, what better way to sneak some veggies in to your diet...or your kids...than to include them in the sauce with a pasta dish?  I keep telling myself that if I'm gonna eat carbs, at least I can eat more veggies too to counter act them.  I Keep telling myself that...


So with the extra fiber and nutrients in mind I set out to make this dish.  It had mushrooms, which I love, and zucchini.  YUM!.  I understand that a lot of you are adverse to mushrooms...so just leave them out and/or substitute them with some other veggie, like summer squash, broccoli, or bell peppers.  They all work, and it's all good!


We loved this dish.  It was easy to make, with little prep time.  The flavors were nice and fresh and the chunky vegetable sauce was fantastic!


Do try this...you'll like it too.


Here are some step by step pics to help you along.

The end result?

Take a gander at this!

Rigatoni with Chunky Vegetable Sauce

serve 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced medium
1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can 28 ounces tomato puree
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
1 pound rigatoni

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until vegetables soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomato puree, season with salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in oregano.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Serve immediately.

adapted slightly from: Everyday Food, March 2011

Spice Rubbed Pork Chops

Who doesn't love a pork chop?

We grew up eating pork chops.  I can remember mom making them all the time.  A southern thing...eating pork chops.  Mom always chose the thin, bone-in pork chops, so that's what I know best.  We never really ate the thick ones, that's something I'm working on.  Habits are hard to break...


Nice thin pork loin chops and good for you and are a lean white meat.  I usually by mine from Trader Joe's. They have some great thin boneless pork chops that cook up quick and tender.


So the usual way is to fry or saute a pork chop.  They cook really quick since they are thin, and you can have a nice dinner on the table in no time at all.  However, today I wanted to change up my chops and add some more flavor to them.  Typically, like chicken, pork chops don't have much flavor unless you add it.  So I made a nice spice rub to put on them.  No need to marinate, no wasting precious time preparing.  Just mix and cook.  The flavor of the chops were sooo good!


So how nice they came out?  I served these with my Roasted Parmesan Summer Squash.  They went perfect together.  Try them both tonight!

Spice Rubbed Pork Chops


serves 4


1 T oregano
2 T paprika
3/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t chili powder
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
8 thin cut boneless pork chops
2 T canola oil


In a small bowl combine all your spices (first 7 ingredients).  Mix well.  Rub only one side of each pork chop well with the rub, pressing in to adhere the mixture to the chops.


Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to a skillet heated over medium high heat.  Add 4 of the pork chops cooking spice side down first.  Cook for 2-3 minutes per side.  Don't overcook thin chops.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and repeat with remaining pork chops.  Serve immediately.

Roasted Parmesan Summer Squash

Need a quick side dish?

How about a vegetable?  A yummy, cheesy, roasted vegetable.


This is a simple side dish to make using summer squash.  You know the yellow bulbous one?  Roasting it brings out a sweetness in a vegetable.  Adding the cheese?  Well, that just takes it over the top with flavor!


Enough said.  This is a perfect side dish for any type of meat or fish.  For a variation change up the vegetable.  It is soooo delishhh!


Try this soon...it a perfect way to eat your veggies!  See how tempting this golden roasted veggie looks?  It tastes even better!

Roasted Parmesan Summer Squash

2 large summer squash, cut into bite sized chunks
2 t olive oil
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t salt
3 T grated fresh Parmesan cheese, more for garnish


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place squash on a roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat all pieces.  Spread pieces out in pan.  Sprinkle garlic powder and salt over pieces.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.  Garnish with more cheese if desired.