Basil Cheese Butterfly Pasta Food

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in a colander, and give it a quick rinse with cold water.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.
• Stir tomatoes, wine, parsley, and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp, and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

CHICKEN & PENNE WITH BASIL PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot of salted water and heat to a boil but do not cook the pasta yet.
• Butterfly the chicken breasts so they are the same thickness. (See How to Butterfly a Chicken Breast)
• Coat both sides with the salt and pepper.
• Heat a deep wide saute pan with the olive oil over medium high heat.
• Once hot, add the chicken breasts and count 30 seconds, then cover, lower heat to the lowest flame and continue to cook chicken, flipping once the first side is cooked, until no longer pink inside. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, this should take 5-10 minutes to cook on low.
• Remove cover and place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. Pour off but save liquid in the pan.
• Over medium heat add the butter and once melted, add flour and cook for three minutes, stirring often.
• Slowly add the cream whisking as you add.
• Add bay leaves, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, whole basil leaves, nutmeg, mustard and pepper flakes. Bring to a bubble then lower to a simmer and simmer ten minutes, stirring often.
• While cream sauce cooks, add Penne pasta to the hot water and cook to just short of al dente. Still should be a little bit chewy.
• Strain the cream sauce through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Taste and salt if needed. Pour the sauce back into the pan, reserving one cup that will be drizzled over each portion when serving.
• Slice the cooked chicken breast into strips and add to the sauce. Add the liquid that you saved after you cooked the chicken.
• Use a spider or strainer and scoop out and add the pasta to the sauce, but do not discard the pasta water yet.
• Stir the mixture over low to medium heat until the pasta is fully cooked. Add a little pasta water if it starts to dry out a little.
• Serve with the reserved sauce, chopped basil and grated Parmesan cheese.

PASTA WITH BUTTER AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring water into boil and add salt and oil.
• Put in the pasta. Stir well and cook until tender.
• Drain well in a colander.
• Melt butter into the pan, place back the pasta and toss well.
• Pour grated cheese on top.

SPRING PESTO PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add asparagus. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain.
• Bring the same pot of water back up to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 11 minutes, or until al dente. Then drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of cooking water.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, and basil pesto. Toss until pasta is evenly coated with pesto. If the sauce is too thick, begin pouring in some reserved pasta water (about 2 tablespoons at a time) until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add chives, lemon zest, and mozzarella, and stir until just combined.
• Divide pasta into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. If eating immediately, serve hot. You can also serve it cold or at room temperature as a delicious vegetarian pasta salad.

THREE-CHEESE CHICKEN PENNE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.
• Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in tomatoes and pasta sauce; bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until completely melted.
• Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

BOW TIE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook bowtie pasta until al dente and drain. Set aside.
• While pasta is cooking heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
• Pour in can of diced tomatoes with sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 2 minutes.
• Pour in heavy cream and reduce heat to low.
• Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Taste and adjust seasonings. It may need more sugar and/or salt, depending how acidic your tomatoes were.
• Add hot pasta and stir to coat in sauce. Add chopped basil and stir.
• Serve immediately.

LEMON BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salty water to a boil. Prepare noodles al dente.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Reduce to medium low heat.
• Add lemon juice and cooking wine, stir until warm.
• Toss with drained pasta.
• Top with parmesan and basil.