Sunset Over The Mediterranean Penne Salad

1 (1 lb box) mini penne pasta
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped roasted red sweet bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped black (ripe) olives
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp capers
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water with salt added; drain well and put in a very large bowl, then pour olive oil over the penne and toss to combine; set aside.
In a separate bowl, put all the remaining ingredients and mix until combined well.
Add this mixture to the pasta, toss to combine, taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.
Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours so flavors combine.
When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to remove some of the chill.
Toss again and serve cool.
Serves 4 to 6.

Make Ahead Of Time Fresh Tomato Basil Tossed Pasta Dinner

8 plum (Roma) tomatoes, cleaned and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash red pepper flakes
1 (16 oz) box penne (or pasta of your choice)
1 cup fresh mozzarella, diced

In a glass bowl put the diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cover with plastic food wrap and let sit at room temperature so flavors combine. This should be done ahead of time and sit out for at least 1 hour, but can be all day or even overnight. The idea is to make the tomato-basil sauce ahead so all you have to do at dinnertime is cook the pasta.
When ready to prepare: Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water, until just al dente.  Drain very well, and return to pot.
Immediately (while pasta is hot) add the tomato-basil sauce to the pasta, add the mozzarella, and toss all together until combined.
Turn out into a large pasta serving bowl and serve warm with crusty bread alongside.
Will serve 4 to 6 people, but you can add a salad to round out the meal and serve more people.

Your Kids Will Love This Macaroni Salad

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine
2 Tbsp chopped crispy dill pickles
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
1 green onion, chopped fine
3/4 cup Italian dressing

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil, then add macaroni and cook until al dente; drain well through a colander.
In a large bowl, put the macaroni, eggs, pickles, celery, onions, and Italian dressing; toss gently to coat well.
Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, then serve cold.
Serves 2 to 4.

Hearty Linguine With Fresh Tomatoes And Avocado Cream Sauce

1 (8 oz) pkg uncooked linguine
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 avocados (must be very ripe)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to a boil, add pasta and cook until just al dente. Ladle out at least 1 cup of cooking water into a saucepan and keep warm, then drain the pasta through a colander, return pasta to pot, pour in olive oil, toss to coat, and cover to keep warm; set aside.
Clean and pit the avocados, scooping the flesh into a food processor.
Add the lemon zest, lemon peel, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the food processor.
Process until smooth, then taste, add salt and pepper if needed, and pulse until blended well.Add more reserved pasta cooking water if the consistency is too thick, blending until smooth.
You want a thick sauce consistency, not watery.
Uncover the pot with the pasta in it, add the cut up tomatoes and the avocado sauce, toss to combine, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.  You may also like a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.
Serve warm in pasta bowls or plates.
Serves 2 to 4

What Wine Should You Serve With Your Pata Dish

The Wine And Pasta Pairing Mystery Is Solved

Wine goes with pasta like the Leaning Tower of Pisa goes with Italy.  Of course, there are about as many varieties of pasta dishes as there are wines to choose from. Matching them up might seem a little overwhelming at first, even like trying to solve a mystery.

But the clues are all there. All you need to do in order to put together a great pasta dish with a fantastic wine is to remove the idea from your mind of the entire pasta dish, and just think of the type of sauce on the pasta. The sauce, for the most part, will determine the profile of wine you choose. Let's take a look at a few different classifications of sauce you would typically find on pasta and which wines would pair well.

Tomato Based Sauce

Tomato sauces are acidic and generally have a bold flavor that commands attention. While no two tomato sauces are the same, there are a few basic ingredients in common that help us choose a wine that will pair well. With the strong flavor of a tomato based sauce, also called red-sauce, one thing to keep in mind is you want a wine to stand up under the intensity of the dish without fizzling out.  In other words, you want to taste the wine as well as the dish.

With a bold tomato sauce, you want a wine that is lush and slightly thick on 'mouthfeel' but not overly acidic. These wines can include Chianti, Merlot, and Sangiovese. Cherry is a prominent flavor in each of these wines which helps to balance out the acid of the tomato sauce.

Alfredo Sauce

Where the heavy acidic tomato sauce requires a bold wine, alfredo style sauces, also called white-sauce, are lighter in flavor and more elegant and smooth. Some are very light, while others are rich with cheesy goodness and can stand up to a slightly bolder wine. But, for any white-sauce, you don't want a brash wine, but something light and refreshing. White wines are typically the best to pair with these sauces.

Wines like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Riesling are great choices when it comes to alfredo sauce. These wines are crisp and usually have a citrus note to them to help cut through the richness of the alfredo sauce. If your pasta is on the lighter side, try a dry Riesling.  But if you like your white-sauce richer or more cheesy, go with a Pinot Grigio.

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is made mostly with basil and some type of nut, either pine nuts or walnuts, then blended in olive oil and sometimes with added garlic. It seems like that would be too much flavor to stand up to a white wine, but pesto actually is considered to have a rather delicate flavor palate. Basil has a very distinct flavor that is on the earthier side, yes, but it is also a very fragile flavor which can be overtaken with a heavy, dark wine. A good wine pairing is a crisp white wine with mineral notes, such as a Cinque Terre. This type of white wine will help cut through the earthy tones of the basil and nuts. Neither the pesto nor the wine will get drowned out with this pairing.

Alternatives

There are some types of pasta that don't quite fall under these three categories, but also deserve a great wine to go with them. For instance, a fantastic wine to pair with a strong cheesy pasta, such as cheese ravioli with butter and Parmesan, is a Viognier. This wine, with its honeysuckle and vanilla nose and peach and honey flavors goes great with seafood sauces, too. For the incredible gnocchi dishes, more like potato dumplings than pasta, a Nebbiolo with earthy truffle flavors makes a great combination.

We could go on and on, but really it's all about experimenting... of course with these few tips in the back of your mind. Picking a wine to go with your pasta dish is as easy as thinking about what sauce will go on the pasta. If you are still unsure or your head starts spinning when you're looking at all those bottles in the store, ask the person in charge.  Most good wine shops only hire people who know their business.  Get to know them and they will be more than happy to make a few suggestions. Then, before you know it, you'll be on your way home to enjoy the perfect wine with your delicious pasta dinner.

Spinach And Linguine With Feta Creamed Sauce

1 pkg (16 oz) linguine, regular or spinach pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 pkg (10 oz size) frozen chopped spinach, thawed in colander and liquid squeezed out
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash garlic powder
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water with salt to a boil, add linguine, and cook until just al dente; drain through a colander and put linguine back in pot, add olive oil and toss together, then cover and keep warm.
In a saucepan, put the spinach, sour cream, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and feta cheese.  Put over low heat, stir and cook until creamy and incorporated well.
Pour the spinach mixture over the linguine, toss to coat, taste and season if necessary, and serve hot.
Serves 4.

Tuna Salad With Shell Pasta

1 box (8 oz size) shell shaped pasta
1 chopped shallot
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can (6.5 oz) Solid White Albacore Tuna in water, drained
1 box (10 oz size) frozen sweet peas, thawed at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in a big pot of boiling salted water, drain very well through a colander; set aside.
In a large bowl, add the shallot, mayonnaise, and sour cream and whisk until smooth.
Add cooked pasta to bowl with dressing, tossing to coat pasta well.
Add the tuna and peas, tossing gently to coat well, but be careful not to break up tuna too much or smash the peas.
Taste, add salt and pepper if needed.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Serve chilled.
Will feed 2 to 4.