Pioneer Womans Pasta Salad With Tomatoes Zucchini And Feta Food

PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, AND FETA

Steps:

• Cook pasta until done. Drain and rinse in cold water until completely cool. Add olive oil and lemon juice, then add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt). Toss to combine. Add zucchini, tomatoes, parsley, and feta, and toss to combine. Add more of what you think it needs; I like to go heavy on the feta! Squeeze in a little more lemon juice/drizzle more olive oil if it needs more moisture.Cover in plastic wrap for at least a couple of hours. Pasta is best when chilled for a few hours before serving. *Note: Add grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, or grilled flank steak if you need a little protein.

PIONEER WOMAN'S PASTA PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Time to start sautéing the veggies in batches, cooking only 1 or 2 minutes (at most) each.
• Add broccoli and carrots to onion & garlic. Cook only for a minute, then remove to separate plate. Add another tablespoon of butter to pan and add red pepper strips. Cook for one minute, then remove. Repeat with remaining veggies, being very careful not to overcook; veggies at this point should still be somewhat raw/crunchy.
• When all veggies have been removed and skillet is empty, pour ½ to 1 glass of dry white wine to pan.
• With whisk, begin to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all the nice, flavorful bits from the bottom. Cooking over medium heat, add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup whipping cream, and 1 cup half and half.
• Add ½ cup grated Parmesan. Stir together and cook until thick, adding salt & pepper to taste. Taste sauce as you go; don't oversalt, but don't undersalt either!
• Chiffonade fresh basil leaves, and stir into sauce. Now add all the veggies, including frozen peas, at once. Stir gently to combine; if sauce seems to thick, add equal parts half & half and chicken broth to thin. Cook over low heat until warm, just a couple of minutes. You don't want soggy veggies! Taste & check seasoning; add more salt & pepper if needed.
• Dump in al dente penne pasta, stir to combine thoroughly, and pour onto a large platter. Garnish with more basil leaves, throw on some more Parmesan, and gobble it up!

PIONEER WOMAN'S PASTA SALAD WITH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI AND FETA

Steps:

• Cook bowtie pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Add olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pioneer Woman says DO NOT UNDERSALT! Toss and then add zucchini, tomatoes, parsley and feta cheese. Toss.
• Add more of whatever you think it needs. PW says she likes to go heavy on the feta. Squeeze in a little more lemon juice and/or drizzle in a little more olive oil if it looks like it needs more moisture. Cover and refrigerate a few hours before serving.

BAKED GOAT CHEESE PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic, shallot, oregano and red pepper flakes to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss to combine. Nestle the goat cheese in the dish among the other ingredients and drizzle with the last tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until the tomatoes have blistered and the goat cheese has melted slightly, 22 to 25 minutes.
• While the tomatoes and goat cheese bake, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
• Remove the tomatoes and goat cheese from the oven. Add the pesto and begin tossing everything together, breaking up the goat cheese as you go and adding a little pasta water, until you have a creamy consistency. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Serve hot garnished with the fresh basil.

TOMATO, ZUCCHINI AND FETA GRATIN

Steps:

• Slice zucchini into 1/2" rounds. Blanch zucchini in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain well, and pat dry.
• Slice tomatoes, lengthwise, into 4 slices per tomato. With a spoon remove seeds.
• In a greased 9x9 glass baking dish, place zucchini, overlapping, in a single layer to cover bottom of dish.
• Drizzle zucchini with 1 tbsp of olive oil over top.
• Sprinkle with with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Next add a layer of crumbled feta.
• Top dish with tomato slices.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle all of casserole with remaining oil.
• Bake, in preheated, 400°F oven for 40 minutes. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before serving.