Pasta

Lemon Pepper Linguini with Chicken and Veggies

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Lemon Pepper Linguini with Chicken and Veggies

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Veggies is a dish that I often throw together in a pinch but never wrote down a recipe. Kind of like my Chicken and Veggies Pesto Pasta. These are 2 dishes that you can use almost any vegetable you have on hand and is extremely easy to throw together.

Friends started requesting the recipes so I thought it was about time to put one on paper and make it official.

The first step is to cook your noodles, doesn’t have to be linguini, just use whatever you have on hand that you like. Cook them to the package directions for al dente.

Lemon Pepper Linguini Sauce

While your noodles are cooking, mix together the sauce ingredients and prepare the rest of your other ingredients. Use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. I sometimes replace the zucchini with broccoli.

When the pasta is cooked to al dente, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, it will be used later to help create a sauce, and strain the noodles. Toss the noodles in with the lemon pepper sauce you just made.

Chicken Mushrooms Zucchini

Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Toss the cubed chicken in with the flour and lemon pepper. Add the oil to the pan and the chicken. Sauté the chicken until it starts to brown.

Add the mushrooms, zucchini, and onions. Sauté until the mushrooms and zucchini soften.

Now it’s ready to finish off.

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Veg

Add the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved pasta water. Stir until the spinach wilts and the pasta is hot.

Lemon Pepper Linguini Ready to Eat

This is a great dish to serve family style. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and serve with lemon wedges and warm garlic bread or toast.

Enjoy!

Lemon Pepper Linguini with Chicken and Veggies
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Lemon Pepper Linguini with Chicken and Veggies

Lemon Pepper Chicken Linguini is a light pasta dish with refreshing ingredients that tastes great hot or cold and can be enjoyed any time of the year.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken, Dinner Ideas, Lemon pepper chicken, Linguini, Pasta, Whats for Dinner
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • 6-quart sauce pot
  • Large saute pan
  • 2 medium bowls
  • Cutting board and knife

Ingredients

  • ½ pound linguini

Chicken

  • 2 each chicken breast cubed
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp lemon pepper

Veggies

  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 1 each zucchini or yellow squash sliced in half moons
  • 2 tbsp yellow onion fine chopped
  • 1 can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
  • 2 each roma tomatoes fine chopped
  • 3 handfuls spinach kale and/or baby chard

Sauce:

  • 1 each lemon zest and juice
  • 1 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic fresh, minced
  • 3 tbsp capers
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Other ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Cook linguini according to package instructions until al dente, about 10 minutes.
  • Combine sauce ingredients and prepare vegetables.
  • Once linguini is cooked, drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, and stir linguini into sauce. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour and lemon pepper, cut up chicken. Toss chicken in the flour and lemon pepper.
  • Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat, add oil and chicken, brown chicken, about 5 minutes.
  • Add mushrooms, zucchini, and onions, sauté until mushrooms are brown, zucchini has softened, and onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
  • Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes, spinach, butter, reserved pasta water, and linguini with sauce. Stir and cook until spinach is wilted and everything is nice and hot, about 2 minuutes.
  • Serve and top with Parmesan cheese.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Using a nonstick sauté pan versus a stainless-steel pan:
A nonstick pan will ensure nothing sticks to the bottom, but the chicken and veggies won’t brown as well.
A stainless-steel pan will create a brown layer on the bottom of the pan that can easily be scraped up when the liquid is added and enhance the flavor of the dish.
My preference is stainless steel, but a nonstick has the benefit of not having to scrape or scrub the pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1602IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

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Mediterranean Pasta Salad

One of the things I love about summer is coming up with new side dishes to serve with whatever I am grilling. This pasta salad goes well with many different grilled meats, meat alternatives, and veggies.

Start by getting your pasta cooking in boiling salted water. While the pasta is cooking, mix together the dressing ingredients so it is ready to add the pasta right when it is done.

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add directly to the dressing. Mix it in. The warm pasta will absorb the flavors of the dressing. Put this in the refrigerator to start cooling down.

I always made this with sundried tomatoes that I reconstituted, then one time I decided to make it a little easier and bought them packed in oil. I didn’t take into account the additional oil when I made the dressing and my dish turned out too oily. This recipe is adjusted for sundried tomatoes packed in oil. So, if you decide to use dried tomatoes that you add hot water to soften them, you may need a little more oil in the dressing, but wait until the end to determine that.

Also, I usually use roasted red bell peppers because they are easier to find in jars in the grocery store, but I happened to have some roasted green peppers from my garden in the freezer that I needed to use up, so that’s what I used this time.

Once you have your ingredients ready, mix them in with the pasta and dressing.

Refrigerate for about an hour to cool down completely. 

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
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Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This salad is slightly tangy from the olives, artichoke hearts, and lemon juice, yet very fresh tasting. Goes great with just about any outdoor BBQ meal, pairs well with many meat entrees.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: Artichoke Hearts, Kalamata Olives, Pasta
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 351kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • large saucepan
  • 1 large bowl and whisk
  • Cutting board and knife

Ingredients

  • 2 cups bowtie pasta uncooked
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes jarred in oil, rough chopped
  • ½ cup kalamata olives pitted, rough chopped
  • 1 each roasted bell pepper red or green, diced
  • ½ cup artichoke hearts rough chopped
  • ½ cup pepitas raw pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ each lemon juice and zest
  • 1 each leek small, cut in ½ moons
  • 5 each basil leaves fresh, sliced
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

  • ring 4 to 6 cups of water to a boil, add a couple tablespoons of sea salt and pasta. Cook to al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.
  • While pasta is cooking, combine dressing ingredients and start preparing the rest of the salad ingredients.
  • After pasta is drained, add to the dressing, mix in and put in the refrigerator.
  • Finish preparing the rest of the ingredients and mix into the pasta and dressing.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring a couple of times.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 3mg

Tarragon Dijon Penne (with Chicken and Veggies)

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If you’ve never tried tarragon, here is your chance. For spices I rarely use I buy in bulk at my local grocery store, that way I can buy the amount I need. Most grocery stores have a bulk spice section now, so I don’t clutter up my already cluttered spice cabinet and rack and I have fresh spices when I need them.

Cooking time is fairly fast once this gets started so you will want all your ingredients gathered and prepped before you start.

Then, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a lot of sea salt and the penne pasta. You will need to cook pasta to al dente which will take about 12 to 15 minutes (check the package instructions).

Once the pasta is in the water, heat up a large saute pan, add the oil and chicken. Saute the chicken until brown. Then add the veggies, except the spinach, shallots, garlic, and dry seasonings.

Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.

Then stir in the dijon and half and half. By now your pasta should be ready to be drained.

Drain your pasta, do not rinse, and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, you need it to bring your sauce together and make it more saucy.

Add the pasta and spinach (I used some arugula this time also) to your pan and give it a good stir. Stir in the pasta water until you are happy with the consistency and sauce.

Cook just until the spinach is wilted.

I like to top with with some shredded parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

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Tarragon Dijon Penne (with Chicken and Veggies)

This one bowl dinner is sure to be a hit with your family. You can keep it vegetarian by replacing the chicken with some chopped portabello mushrooms or seitan. Go dairy-free using a milk alternative, or even gluten-free with one of the good gluten-free pastas that are on the market. No need to stick to penne, bowtie pasta works well with this dish too.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken, Dijon, Pasta
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 214kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Large stainless steel saute pan
  • Large Sauce Pan
  • Cutting board and knife

Ingredients

  • ½ pound penne pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 pound chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 each red bell pepper diced
  • 2 cups mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cups broccoli florets and stems, chopped
  • 3 handfuls spinach
  • 1 tbsp garlic fresh, minced
  • 2 tbsp shallots minced
  • 1 tbsp tarragon dry
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup half and half room temperature
  • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

  • Gather and prep all ingredients. Measure half and half and leave out at room temperature.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add sea salt and penne. Cook according to package directions until al dente (about 12 to 15 minutes).
  • Once pasta is in the water, heat a large saute pan, add oil and chicken. Cook until the chicken is golden brown.
  • Add veggies (except spinach), shallots, garlic, and dry seasonings. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add dijon and half and half.
  • By now the pasta should be ready. Remove ½ cup of the pasta water, drain and add pasta, spinach, and pasta water to the chicken mixture. Stir until the spinach is melted.
  • Top with some parmesan cheese.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1295IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

Deconstructed Lasagne

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One of the great things about winter is comfort food. There are many wonderful comfort foods, one is lasagne – noodles layered with meat or roasted veggies, covered in saucy, cheesy goodness.

However, sometimes it’s too much work to make, so figuring out a way to get all the flavors and saucy, cheesy goodness into a dish that is much easier to make was high on my list.

First, let’s talk a little bit about the spelling, is it lasagna or lasagne? I always thought that when spelled with an “e” that was the Italian (and everyone else in Europe) way of spelling it and when ending in an “a”, it was the American way of spelling it. A quick google search gave me the answer and I was partially correct, but there is more to it.

Lasagne is plural and lasagna is singular and the name of the noodles. Americans use the word lasagna to refer to the dish in total. Basically, Americans are using the wrong word when referencing is dish – we don’t just get one noodle when we eat a serving of lasagna. However you spell it, it’s a wonderful winter comfort food.

 

So, let’s make lasagne much simpler. You can use whatever filling you desire. If you only want meat or vegetables, use just that. I like both, but sometimes I only want vegetables. This version gives me a little of both.

Start by gathering and preparing all of your ingredients. You can replace the ground beef with ground turkey, a ground meat substitute, or Italian sausage. If you use sausage, you will want to omit the fennel and probably crushed red pepper flakes.

Yes, my ground beef in this picture is frozen, but that was ok, just put it in your pan, on low heat to start defrosting it, scraping off the meat around the outside as it thaws.

Once your meat is brown, add the vegetables and seasonings and saute for a couple minutes to get them mostly cooked.

While browning the meat and cooking the vegetables, boil your pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. When done, drain and set aside until needed. Do not toss pasta with oil to prevent it from sticking, all this does is prevent the sauce from sticking to and flavoring your noodles.

When cooking pasta – bring your water to a boil before adding salt to the water. Salt can pock mark pans, so if you add the salt before the water is boiling, it will sit on the bottom of the pan creating marks in your pan. Also, don’t add oil to your boiling water – again, all this does is cover your noodles and create a barrier so the sauce cannot flavor the noodles. To keep them from sticking while cooking, keep your water at a rolling boil and stir frequently.

So now we are ready to put this all together. My saute pan was not big enough to mix in, so I grabbed a bowl and mixed it in that. Add your meat mixture, pasta, tomatoes and sauce, and cheese and stir to combine. If your noodles stuck while waiting to get put into the dish, don’t worry, the sauce will “unstick” them.

 

Once combined, put in a casserole dish that you sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with the bread crumbs and more Parmesan cheese. Cover and put it in your preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until all bubbly hot.

Time to sit and enjoy all the saucy, cheesy, flavorful goodnes of lasagne with a nice slice of garlicky cheese toast!

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Deconstructed Lasagne

This dish has all the wonderful flavors of lasagna without all the work.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Lasagna, Pasta
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 261kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Medium Stock Pot
  • Large saute pan
  • 4-quart Casserole Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef extra lean
  • 4 cups mushrooms sliced
  • ½ cup yellow onions diced
  • 1 each bell peppers diced
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups rotini pasta dry
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp garlic fresh, minced
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • ½ c Parmesan cheese grated
  • Topping
  • 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • ½ cup parmesan grated

Instructions

  • Gather and prep all ingredients. Crush pepper flakes and fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle.
  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large sauté pan, start browning the ground beef. When almost done add the onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, and seasonings. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
  • While sautéing meat and veggies, cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside until needed.
  • In the saute pan or a bowl, combine the meat mixture, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, pasta, and cheese.
  • Spray a 4 (to 6)-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and add pasta mixture. Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 561mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 2mg