Quick Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce

A quick and easy meal that is reminiscent of my vacation in Italy!  It's simple Italian pasta at it's finest!

Quick Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce 

Need a quick weeknight meal?

I've got just the thing for you.  How does a quick penne pasta with a tasty meat sauce sound?  Good? You bet it is!

This little dish is something I made up to remind me of our daily meals in Rome.  We often visited this family restaurant daily.  They were so friendly and we felt at home there.  The owner became a good friend and would visit with us telling stories of Italy, and in turn asking about California.  

Such complete different worlds.  He would have a daily dish that was made special by the chef.  Sometimes pasta, other days it was a wonderful chicken dish.  But the sauces were special.  Made with meat and tomatoes and garlic and onion.  Hearty yet light enough to not overwhelm.

So being in the mood, this is my successful attempt at Luigi's wonderful pasta sauce.  It's easy enough to make on a weeknight, but hearty enough for a complete meal with a side salad and don't forget the garlic bread.

I hope you enjoy this.  It brings back fond memories of Rome.

Quick Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce

Serves 4

 

1/2 pound penne pasta

Salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Dash red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground sirloin

2 1/2 cups canned chunky tomato sauce 

3 T shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat to boiling a large pot with 4 quarts of water in it. Once the water is boiling, salt it with 1 Tbsp of salt. Once the water returns to a boil add the pasta to the pot. Cook on high heat with a vigorous boil 8-10 minutes.  Drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add ground sirloin and stir to break up beef, browning.  

Add tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer on low heat, let cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Stir in the cooked penne pasta. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Thai Chicken and Rice Wraps

Hi there! I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July holiday!

Our holiday was wonderful.  Good times, good friends, and excellent food if I do say so myself!  I'll be sharing some great grilling recipes that we came up with shortly.  They are perfect to make all summer long.

But first I want to share this wonderful dish made mainly of leftovers!  This is the e a s i e s t dish to put together.  You can certainly make this on a busy weeknight, or put it together for a nice lunch or light weekend dinner.  The flavors are right on spot!  The inspiration?  One of our favorite Thai places serves their version of chicken lettuce wraps which we ADORE!  So I knew it was only a matter of time before I recreated them. 

We have been so busy getting ready for our new house, packing, paperwork etc...that I don't have energy to cook a full blown meal right now.  Nor the gumption for that matter.  So quick and easy meals, thrown together literally, are for me. 

Like I said, I made this the easy way...using leftovers of course!  You can use some roasted chicken breasts that have been shredded and leftover cooked rice. I always make extra chicken when I roast breasts cause you can use it in salads, wraps, and this dish!  Same goes for rice.  I always make extras when I make stir fry.   If you don't have leftovers then buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up and make some rice, or buy some pre-cooked packaged rice.  It's all good.  But really, this is the best recipe for leftovers!

The flavor punch is in the sauce, so make sure to make that and spread it over your lettuce wraps to give it that punch.  A wonderful, quick dinner, you won't be disappointed.  The taste is perfect with all the combination of Asian ingredients.  I served this with a simple side of Sugar Snap peas that I'll be sharing next.  A perfect combination for a quick and easy meal!

Enjoy!

Thai Chicken and Rice Wraps

Serves 2

2 t rice vinegar
1 T plus 1 t Asian chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha)
1 ½ t grated fresh ginger
3 T sesame oil, divided
1 c shredded cooked chicken
1 clove garlic, minced
½ c cilantro, chopped
4 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
1 c hot cooked rice

Combine vinegar, chili sauce, ginger and 1 ½ t sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic and stir until thoroughly heated through, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro and stir to combine.

Place 2 lettuce leaves on each serving plate. Spoon rice onto the lettuce leaves and top with chicken mixture dividing evenly. Serve with the vinegar mixture.

California Salad

Yum

 Happy 4th of July!

So many wonderful memories of this holiday and my childhood.  Joining the 4th of July parade with my bike all decked out with red, white, and blue flags and crepe paper in the spokes.  Then having a great cook out in the back yard and finally going over to the park to lay on a huge blanket and watching the fireworks at night.  Oh, I just love the feeling of this holiday!

These days we often have a pool party and grill prior to watching the fireworks.  Sometimes we have a potluck style get together, other times we have a themed menu.

This year we're having a potluck style get together with many friends.  Each bringing their own favorite dishes.  Tons of food, lots of friends, great fun!

I'm bringing a wonderful salad I call a California Salad.  My inspiration came from a small salad shop that we used to eat at frequently.  They had this salad that was full of fruit, topped with chicken, and had a sweet dressing.  This is my version, and it's perfect for any potluck, or holiday celebration.

To make this easier use leftover roasted chicken, (or roast a breast or two fresh, or pick up a rotisserie chicken!) and slice the breasts thinly.  

Hope you enjoy this salad, it's fresh, light, and delishhh!

California Salad

1 head of Romaine Lettuce, torn

1/2 c Blueberries

1 1/2 c Strawberries, sliced

1 c Pineapple, cut into chunks

1/3 c Mandarin Oranges

1 Roasted Chicken Breast, sliced

1/3 c Pecans Halves 

1/3 c Poppyseed Dressing

Fill a bowl with the torn lettuce.  Add blueberries, strawberries, pineapple and Mandarin oranges.  Add slices of roasted chicken breast on top.  Sprinkle with pecan halves.  Drizzle with poppyseed dressing.  Toss to distribute dressing and serve.