We *love* pasta around here- I have to admit, it’s pretty much my favorite food on the planet. But then if you’ve ever been over to the Favorite Recipes section of kevinandamanda.com, you probably already knew that! :) I’ve always wanted to make my own fresh pasta from scratch – I would love to make my own specialty flavored pastas… with yummy combinations like garlic & herbs (fresh from the garden!), roasted red peppers or tomatoes (fresh from the neighbor’s garden – what a fun red color this pasta would be!), or how about a speckled, lemon pepper pasta (in a light cream sauce with chicken or shrimp?? Or lightly buttered next to a steak! :)) and ooh, maybe some kind of spicy chile pepper pasta?? I’m thinking pepperoncinis or jalapenos would be perfect. :) Or for fall – a fun, bright orange, harvest spiced, pumpkin or sweet potato pasta?? I could go on. And on. Or, or – get this – a sweet, chocolate *dessert* pasta to serve with ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries. *dying a thousand little deaths*
But I’m getting ahead of myself here… :)
I was so, so thrilled when Bertolli (yes, that Bertolli! :)) contacted me and asked if I’d like to try making my own pasta. It’s like they read my mind. Um, yes! :) Definitely! :)
Three short days later, a beautiful pasta prize package showed up at my door. They sent an Imperia Pasta Machine (to make my first experience with rolling & cutting pasta dough a snap), an Emile Henry Lasagna Baker (for baking all my favorite pasta dishes to perfection- lasagna, macaroni & cheese, baked penne with roasted vegetables…), and a coupon for a free Bertolli Frozen Meal (for nights when I don’t have time to make my own pasta! :))
I was in heaven. I started with a recipe for homemade basil fettuccine to use with my brand spankin’ new pasta machine.
Oh man. I cannot even begin to tell you how unbelievably fantastic this smells right now.
It rolled out and cut really easily – it was not as hard as I was imagining!! :)
And the really cool thing – I was so surprised – when you get done cutting, you just kind of throw in into a pile. And then you dump that pile into the boiling water. And it all works out perfectly. It doesn’t stick or clump together. I was amazed. It was… simple.
Okay. Again. I cannot even begin to describe how good this smelled. Or tasted! :D The basil… *faints.* I wanted to eat the noodles just plain.
And it’s green! :) Love it – so fun! This should be the official dish of Christmas. This pasta making thing was a blast – I’m seeing this as a weekly occurrence now. I have lots of flavor combinations to try. :D
You have got to try making your own pasta- got, got, got to! :)
Oh! I cannot wait to make this again towards the end of summer when all my bell peppers and herbs are taking over the garden! :)
Next I tried our favorite lasagna in the ceramic lasagna dish they sent. It’s so cute – it’s a little bigger than an 8×8 dish, but not as big as a 9×13. It’s the perfect size for 4-6 servings. Our favorite lasagna isn’t fancy, but since neither of us really care for ricotta cheese, this recipe is just perfect for us. And simple, easy to keep on-hand pantry items make it a quick & easy weeknight meal – not to mention delicious! :)
Kevin & Amanda’s Favorite Lasagna
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/4 cup milk
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 lb sausage
2 cups spaghetti sauce
4-6 oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, or your favorite combo!)Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the soup and milk in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Set aside. Brown the sausage & ground beef together and drain off the fat. Stir in the spaghetti sauce.
Layer the lasagna in this order: 1/2 meat mixture, noodles, 1/2 soup mixture, remaining meat mixture, noodles, remaining soup mixture, then top with shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake @ 400 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 mins until cheese is melted & bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. (If you can wait! ;))
The next night we used our coupon for a free Bertolli Frozen Meal for two – Sweet! Dinner on Bertolli tonight! :D
BTW, we ate good this week, huh.
2 extremely generous portions, only 500 calories each, ready in 9 mins, only messes up 1 dish – perfect for a quick dinner after a long day of kayaking! :)
Add a salad and bread and you’ve easily got dinner for 4.
Okay, so, I promise I’m not just torturing you! :) Bertolli wants to send one kevinandamanda.com reader a Pasta Prize Package of their own!
Time’s Up! We have a winner!!! :)
Congratulations to commenter #212 Charlene!!
Now you can make your own homemade fresh pasta from scratch any time you want! :) Enjoy! :)
***
The winner will receive a Pasta Prize Package valued at $125 from Bertolli that includes:
* Imperia Pasta Machine
* Emile Henry 2.5 Quart Ceramic Lasagna Baker
* A coupon for a free Bertolli Frozen Meal for two that will transport you to Italy in just 10 minutes.
To Enter the Giveaway…
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post! :) What’s your favorite Italian dish? Or, what’s your favorite Italian recipe?? And – you know what I’m about to say next, don’t you? You better share that recipe with me! :D Or, have you ever made your own homemade pasta?? :) And – do you know what I’m about to say next?? ;)
*Unfortunately, because of the weight of this prize package, Bertolli is only able to ship to entrants within the United States.
Contest Ends Saturday, April 24th at 8pm CST.
***
BTW, did you know Bertolli has a series of webisodes featuring Marisa Tomei, Chef Rocco DiSpirito and Dan Cortese? Check out this newest one, “The Secrets of the Pollaio” – Marisa, Rocco and Dan track down Italy’s “Egg Man” and use his special eggs to make their own pasta – just like me! :)
There is actually one really crazy part – I gasped!! :O
***
Good luck!!! :)
More from Amanda:
Share:
Filed Under: Giveaways
Follow Amanda on 
784 Comments
Oooh.. My favorite pasta dish is a very simple lasagna recipe using hot sausage. (And I don’t pre-cook the noodles.) :)
Looks so good I could almost smell it!! I really really hope to win!!
Count me in!!! What an awesome genergous giveaway!!
the pasta looks delicious!
I follow your site to get recipe ideas to surprise my wonderful wife… The patamaker sure would come in handy!!
omgosh, that’s a hard one since I adore Italian food and could live on pasta alone. But I do love a good gorgonzola cream sauce on pasta. Yummmmmmmmmm.
Amanda, you’re making me drool! I LOVE pasta!! It’s my all time favorite food. Lasagna is my favorite, but I sure do love the traditional spaghetti and meatballs too! I’ve never tried making my own before, but now you’ve got me curious… :)
mmmmmm pumpkin ravioli with crispy sage and browned butter…topped with chicken, by wolfgang puck…at DISNEY World. Well, downtown disney anyway : )
HEAVEN!!
Or on my own, stuffed shells using creamed spinach & yummy cheese!!
ps you GOTTA try some of those diff. pastas u mentioned, and then blog about it. a dessert pasta? amazing!
We love pasta at our house, but I have never made my own. It has always intimidated me. This prize would be awesome!
I NEED this prize. I would love to make my own pasta since I have a gluten-allergy and I can’t eat most store-bought pasta. :)
Cute video. Thanks for sharing.
That pasta looks so yummy! Especially with the red sauce on it. I want you to share the red sauce recipe too:)
I love spaghetti the most. I have 6 kids. My spaghetti recipe is loved by all ages.
1 lb. ground beef
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
4 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. garlic salt
3 T. sugar
1 tsp. oregano
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. parsley
1/2 t. black pepper
1 bay leaf
I love love love four cheese lasagne and capellini with basil pesto
Oooooh! My favorite Italian dish varies depending on my mood… but honestly, spaghetti is one of the best. Not just any spaghetti though. The kind my great grandpa made. It was his recipe, and he had come over from Greece as a child. When he grew up, he owned a restaurant… and every recipe I have ever had from him is amazing. :)
My favorite? Really? I love them all…picking one is just so unfair to all of the others!
I guess if i *have* to pick one, it’s the one I didn’t have to make myself. :P
Oh Amanda, I really need this pasta maker!! only problem is I work 3 stinkin’ jobs and when would I find the time? Oh, yeah, I always make time for PASTA! Tortellini alfredo with shrimp and scallops…my favorite… and Bertoli has great pasta! I’ll keep my fingers crossed…
That pasta looks AMAZING! I have always wanted to try and make my own pasta
LOVE pasta! I’m about to go make some homemade pesto right now :) The one you made looks amazing! I love basil, so a basil pasta.. perfect. My favorite pasta dish I make is Lasagna. http://longley4.blogspot.com/2010/01/fun-with-carrots.html
The breadsticks go great with it :)
Omigosh!! I would love to win this–I need all the help I can get when it comes to cooking. Thanks Kevin and Amanda for such an awesome blog and for the chance to win:)
Wow, what a wonderful package! I would love to be entered for a chance to win. I have three boys (well, 4 including DH) and what a wonderful treat to make my own pasta (and $ saving) and add fresh herbs and veggies from our garden. Thanks for the chance…
PS My favorite is gnocchi with a tomato vodka cream sauce…yum! ;)
I was so excited until I got to the part about the ‘no shipping outside of the U.S’.
But I decided to comment anyway, because pasta is probably my favorite food, and lasagna is my favorite type of pasta.
Ah well. I’ll just stare at the pictures while drooling.
I LOVE pasta!!! I don’t really have a favorite, cause you can put anything with pasta. As long as the recipe is delicious, I’m in for the eating. I have made homemade noodles in the past, but not pasta.
The pasta looks delicious, I have wanted to try making my own sometime. Glad to hear how easy and good it was!
Oh, that basil pasta looks SO yummy!
My absolute favorite pasta recipe is one I got from Cooking Light. It is PERFECT in summer because it uses so many pretty veggies and it is SO yummy. The ingredient list is long, but it is pretty easy to make and I adore it.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1173793
YAY! I love love LOVE pasta!! I’ve always wanted to be Italian:) My favorite is my own lasagne. It comes out different every time, but my secret is fresh ingredients, simmering the sauce for six hours, and eating it at least 12 hours after assembling. Makes all the difference!!! Thanks for the giveaway!!!
Here is my favorite pasta dish!!!
I fell in love with it at the Cheesecake Factory.
Thanks for the chance to win!!
Chicken Farfalle with Garlic Cream Sauce
1 chicken breast (grilled)
6 slices of Bacon
½ onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of Chopped Garlic
basil to taste
Fresh green onions to taste
parsley to taste
1oz of sundried tomatoes
1 cup of Chicken Stock
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 lbs of Penne or farfalle Pasta (cooked al dente)
2oz of Parmesan Cheese
2oz of Mozzarella Cheese
*brocilli, olives, mushrooms, and peas can be added to this as well
Prepare the garlic cream. Grill Chicken Breast to doneness and dice into 1inch cubes
cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan drain on towel and coarsely chop and in drippings saute onions until soft and beginning to brown. add garlic and herbs, peas, sundried tomatoes, and Bacon. Sauté’ on medium/high heat then add the chicken to the pan. Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken stock and cream. return to heat to reduce the sauce until half in size or it is thick enough to coat the spoon. then stir in the garlic cream and the pasta. reduce till the sauce coats the pasta.
Take the pan off of the heat and add parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Mix in the cheese with tongs so mozzarella and parmesan is throughout the pasta.
Roasted garlic cream
1 cup peeled garlic
1 cup olive oil
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Place garlic in saucepan and cover with oil. Heat on medium high and cook for about 10 minutes until garlic is golden brown, but not burnt. Strain the olive oil, which may be used for later recipes. Put the garlic in a food processor or blender. Heat cream and reduce it to half of its original volume, about one cup. Pour cream in with garlic and puree into a paste.
lasagna is my favorite! I also love baked ziti…I guess it’s a toss up…4 cheese baked ziti is my specialty. so yummy!!!
this looks delish!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE any pasta with a white cream sauce! Especially, alfredo!! and I’ve been looking & looking for that perfect, most, cheesiest alfredo recipe. I’ll have to scour your recipes & see what you got!
*fingers crossed* i’m the lucky winner!!!
I want in on this contest! My DH ALWAYS is talking about making our own noodles, but with three kids I can get a tad lazy with homemade noodles! This looks yummy! My favorite (and easiest) italian recipe is fettucine alfredo. So easy. 3 Tbl butter, 1 1/4 c heavy whipping cream, 1 3/4 to 2 c fresh grated parmesan. And salt and pepper if you want. Bring to a small boil then simmer ten minutes. Stir constantly. Then pour over noodles with grilled chicken breasts and a lovely steamed vegetable. So simple and I love it.
Such a wonderful gift package…my husband is italian, one of my favorite tricks instead of using riccotta cheese (makes my tummy hurt) is to use cottage cheese with and egg stirred in and italian seasoning between the layers of our lasagna. Now I need to try yours out!
I enjoy most things pasta, but my favorite is lasagna. Every time I make it, the lasagna seems to turn out different and never quite like moms. Bertolli has a really good substitute for those days when I just don’t feel like making it from scratch or want all the left overs as theirs is the right portion for two! Add some garlic toast and a salad and its a perfect meal!
I heart pasta as well. My favorite is fettuccine alfredo with grilled lemon chicken. I would love to have a pasta machine. It looks like a blast to make and being able to add veggies to the pasta would be a great way to sneak veggies into my 3 boys’ meals (7, 3, and 5 months)! As a stay at home Mom I would get a lot of use out of this great machine! Thank you so much~ Heather
How fun! Your pasta looks amazing! Mmmmmm.
I have always wanted to make my own homemade pasta; I adore fettucini alfredo, but I would also love to make my own egg noodles for homemade chicken noodle soup. :)
A classic and will always be a favorite… spaghetti and meatballs. I use a variation of Rachael Ray’s (vary simple and delicious):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/spaghetti-and-meatballs-recipe/index.html
Wow … this would be heaven!! We eat a lot of pasta at my house! This is an amazing giveaway!! Please let me win :)
I Love pasta of all types, sizes, kinds… but i have to admit, i have never made it from scratch….oh, how i would love to win!
My family and I cook pasta at least twice a week. We love all kinds, but the kiddos would be Spagetti and meat balls. or Creamy chicken alfredo. We love to cook together so this would be a great Prize to win.
That pasta looks delicous! My favorite to make is probably stuffed shells.
That looks amazing! I am *green* with envy and now it’s making me hungry! Yum.
Oh wow! How fantastic! I would love to win. My husband has a gluten allergy, so we eat rice pastas and other gluten free varieties. I’d love to be able to make pasta for him from scratch! Our favorite pasta dish is super easy. We call it hamburger bake.
Cook a box of pasta according to the box. We typically use elbow macaroni. Brown ground turkey or beef. Add in half a diced onion and one diced green bell pepper. Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom soup with one can of tomato soup and a can of italian stewed tomatoes. Add pasta and meat to the soups. Add a handful of shredded cheese (we use cheddar). Put in a casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Delicious and reheats really well!
That is so cool! My favorite pasta dish is baked ziti with TONS of cheese!
Pasta is a weekness of mine too! I love it all. But I especially love a really good Chicken Marsala. Mmmmm…
WOW, what a great post!!! LOVE PASTA!!! I have never made homemade pasta…would love to on day. I love your lasagne recipe!!!!
OMG! Can I just say how absolutely adorable you are!! I just came across your website (I have no clue how, but I am so glad I did), literally 2 days ago and I probably spent the greater part of my Wednesday browsing your website. Precious! Anyway, I have an AMAZING pasta dish; I am part Italian so I have an immense LOVE for all things pasta! It is called FUSILLI ALLA CAPRESE. My husband asks for it for dinner atleast 2-3 times per week. Fortunately (for myself mostly) I was able to convince him, ONCE a week so neither of us would get tired of this dish. I have had numerous friends ask for this recipe. It’s light, fresh, filling and DELICIOUS! I hope you try it, you won’t be disappointed!
FUSILLI ALLA CAPRESE
3-4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
3 cups diced tomatoes (I use 6-7 roma tomatoes)
dried basil to your taste (OR 1/4 cup fresh torn basil; dried basil is way better and gives it a lot more flavor, so just sprinkle until it’s to your taste.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box fusilli pasta (OR Rotini pasta; we use the rotini)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Shredded mozzarella cheese (or diced fresh; I am a cheese-aholic…so it’s to your taste)
Bring your (nicely) salted water to boil before adding in your noodles. Boil for 8-10 min…you want it al dente. When it’s finished, save 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.
In a saucepan, put in your evoo and garlic; medium heat and cook garlic until its aeromatic. Turn down your evoo and add in your diced tomatoes, turn your heat back up to medium and allow tomatoes to get quite soft. To the point where you can gently smush the tomato and it’s nearly turned to a “salsa” like consistency. At the last minute add your tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix in well and pull off the heat.
Add your tomato mix to pasta and stir well; add in your 1/2 cup of reserved water. Let pasta mix cool a little before adding your cheese and basil. (In the meantime, I make garlic bread) Your pasta should still be relitively warm still, add in your cheese and basil. Stir well. Add until it’s your desired basil taste and as much cheese as you prefer. SERVE!!!!
Thanks for your time Amanda! Have a wonderful, blessed day!
This is amazing! I love pasta, just like you! My favorite is anything with vodka sauce, or a lemon caper sauce. This would be so much fun!!!
I really can’t pick a favorite since I love all pasta. I would love to win this. You are so lucky to have been given this!
I am partial to fettucini alfredo. So yummy. I’ve actually made my own noodles for a homemade chicken noodle soup I make. They are so yummy.
Mmmm, pasta! I love the Bertolli quick meals; my husband and I always keep one in our freezer because they’re so yummy and quick! They’re enough to feed us and our two year old. I’ve never made pasta but would love to! And my favorite pasta recipe is actually the sauce that goes on top:
1# ground turkey
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of Rotel (or diced tomatoes)
1 small can of tomato paste
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 TBSP of Italian herb mix (I like Ana’s Herbs)
a little bit of olive oil
touch of brown sugar
You dice up the onion and saute it in the EVOO, then add the turkey and brown it up a bit. Add in the paste and tomatoes (both cans), add some italian herbs, salt and pepper and let cook for about 10 minutes on low. Then add in the garlic and brown sugar, give it a good stir and let it simmer on low for another 30. We eat it with all types of pasta, and when we’re sick of pasta, we spread it on a ciabatta loaf that’s been cut in half longways, top it with cheese, and then broil it to make pizza bread. So yummy! I hope you’ll try it!
I LOVE pasta and I loved all your fantastic flavor ideas! I might just have to buy my own if I don’t win!
My favorite pasta is fettucine Alfredo simple but so wonderful and good!
I would have to say creamy Chicken Fetachini Alfredo would be my fav. Yum Yum Yum!
Oh we love those Bertolli meals. We ate the Lasagna one on Tuesday night. :o) My favorite pasta right now is Fettucine Alfredo. Unfortunately, I don’t make it. But I love to eat it. :o)
I love anything with garlic, artichokes & sun dried tomatoes!!
What a wonderful giveaway! This is kind of boring, but my spaghetti and meatballs is everyone’s favorite. My dad requests it, my father in law, my friends when they come for dinner, pretty much everyone. I make the sauce from scratch in the morning, along with the meatballs, and then I let the meatballs simmer in the sauce all day. I am not exactly sure of the recipe because each time it is a little different, but I will look it up at home. SO good. Mmmm, now I am hungry for spaghetti and meatballs.
So cool… I love pasta too. Not sure I have a favorite but my son could eat past everday.. butter and cheese and he is a happy camper. He would love to make his own.
Wow what a fantastic giveaway! I have always wanted to make pasta. The only pasta dough I’ve made is one for ravioli.
I LOVE pasta! I don’t know if I have a favorite though. I love pasta with garlic & oil with some shrimp and spinach tossed in there. I also love ziti, raviolis, and stuffed shells too! Yummmmmmmmm!
This is awesome! I love pasta!
Oh my lord- you’ve made me start drooling! How delicious! My favorite pasta dish is penne rustica from Maccaroni Grill- yum! I wish I had the recipe and could make it! If I won the Bertolli giveaway I’d have to try to make it (hint, hint)!
We love pasta at our house. My husband makes a mean lasagna…good stuff all around. He would love a pasta maker. Thanx!
I LOVE pasta of any kind. Fettucini alfredo would have to be my favorite. My brother in law is a cook and he & my sister were having family over for a meal. He asked My sis what I liked -But then said “I am not making Macaroni & cheese!” (that’s what I get at their restaurant on fridays) He made fettucini alfredo for part of the meal. I had to taese him and say “You know I love that too – it’s just fancy mac & Cheese!” :)
Yikes, i love pasta and it looks so fun to make your own! Thanks!
Ooooooooh!!!!
I would so love to try this!
I love Pasta. I love Vodka Sauce! I’ve never tried to make it but would love to! For sauce I’m sooooo much the cheater. I take regular store-bought Ragu or Prego and doctor it up. Hubs can’t stand any tomatoes or onions chunky so I have to run it through the processor first, then I add fresh garlic, seasonings, capers, kalamata olives etc to taste! Yummmm! BUT I just realized something after watching an episode of cooks kitchen (the test kitchen people) why buy the spaghetti sauce. I want to try what they recommend: Buy canned tomato sauce! I won’t have to puree it and I can still add fresh garlic and basil etc to my hearts content!
Thanks for sharing this loveliness with us!
Hmmmm….never made my own pasta before. Favorite Italian dish? Anything with fresh basil and any type of pasta.
My favorite Italian dish? Hands-down it is Mum’s turkey lasagna. Very exciting give-away, Amanda. Can’t wait until April 24th.
That pasta looks amazing, Amanda! So sweet of Bertolli to send you that, and even sweeter for them to send a prize to a reader! I love the classic alfredo sauce. In fact, we had chicken alfredo over linguine on Sunday with some garlic bread and salad. So yummy!!
OMG, That LOOKS amazing Amanda! I cannot even imagine the TASTE! Thanks for the chance to win!!
Okay, so my fav recipe right now is a Baked Ziti I found in the Costco cookbook from last year :)
2tbsp olive oil
1tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
3/4lb NY Style bulk sausage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1.5cups diced eggplant
1.5cups diced brown mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
2tbsp chopped fresh basil
4oz part-skim ricotta
3/4 cup shredded provolne
1.5 cups favorite pasta sauce
8oz ziti or penne pasta cooked
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Preheat oven 350*
In a preheated nonstick skillet over medium heat, saute olive oil, garlic, shallots and sausage for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.
add salt, pepper, eggplant and mushrooms, saute for another 1-2 min.
Turn heat up to high, add wine and stir until evaporated. Add chicken stock and cook until slightly reduced. Return heat to medium and simmer for 1-2 more minutes
Gently fold in basil, ricotta, provolone and sauce. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Fold in cooked pasta and parmesan cheese.
Transfer to a casserole and bake for 8-10 minutes, until warmed the whole way through. :)
Serves 4-6
Homemade pasta…I’ve seen it, read about it, but I’ve never owned a pasta machine…would be worth a try if I get lucky to own one! Hope you enjoy my “pasta dish” contribution…
CREAMY, CHEESY PASTA DELUXE
1 lb dry fettucine pasta or any long pasta
8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 stick butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups grated cheese (freshly grated Parmesan cheese is my favorite)
2 small zucchini, julienned
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
1 can premium brand chunk breast of chicken, drained
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes; drain. While pasta pot is boiling, cook cream cheese, butter, 2 cups grated cheese, minced garlic, zucchini and red bell pepper in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. Season with about 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add drained chicken chunks and pasta, toss well to coat. Transfer to serving dish. Pass grated parmesan at the table. Crusty bread and a salad is all that’s needed to make a satisfying and quick meal.
OH MY GOSH!! My boyfriend is 100 percent Italian, and he would DIE if I won this!
I like to call him my Italian Stallion, hehe ;)
The other night we made pasta sauce from scratch! It was so delish and it also was such a bright red color that I am not use to from the jars. MMmmmmMmm! I’ll have to send you the recipe :)
I LOVE pasta! I make my own lasagne with the pre cooked noodles. I combine cottage cheese with my ricotta and an egg yolk and beat together. Yummy! Lots of fresh ingredients and cheese make my dish a hit. P.S. LOVE your blog. =)
I made a simple pasta salad all the time, especially in the summer: noodles, tomatoes, broccoli, cheese & olives w/ so,e Italian dressing. So easy!
I’m a sucker for ravioli! I hope I win this! That pasta maker looks like too much fun!!
I love pesto with Pasta! A little grilled chicken and a few tablespoons of pesto with your favorite pasta! Yummmmmy!!!
Okay, I’m in Australia, but I HAD to comment. If you draw my name out as winner, tell Bertoli that I’ll pay my own shipping! I’m the biggest pasta addict in the whole wide world and I ADORE Bertoli products! My fave italian dish is definitely… pasta! It’s my favourite food and I’ve never had a pasta dish I haven’t enjoyed. Nothing beats handmade pasta made in Italy though. I want to go back just to have one more meal in this awesome Venetian restaurant that our tour guide took us to (don’t you just love how they know all of the awesome out of the way places to dine?!). Ok, I’ve rambled enough. I’m serious about the paying my own shipping! Lol.
OH MY!! Amanda, that looks amazing!! I would LOVE to have one of those! I have always wanted to make my own pasta!
This is my favorite Italian Meal
(Which would be 100000 times better with homemade pasta!!)
The Best Chicken Marsala
I love Olive Gardens Chicken Marsala! When we moved to NC we had an Olive Garden in our town, and I was soo excited!! Now that we’ve moved back to Virginia, the closet one is 45 minutes away. My husband and I Love it. I hope You will too!
The Best Chicken Marsala
1/2 cup flour
skinless boneless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
4 cups of chopped mushrooms
Marsala cooking wine
olive oil
chicken stock or broth
Pinch of salt and black pepper
First combine a 1/2 cup of flour, a pinch of salt and some black pepper into a bowl or casserole dish. Coat the chicken breasts with this seasoned mixture.
Next add a few splashes of olive oil and butter into a large skillet and turn on the burner to medium-high heat. Brown each chicken breast for 3-4 minutes on each side and then set them aside.
Chop up mushrooms and add them into the skillet with another tablespoon of butter or margarine.
Cook the mixture until the mushrooms start turning golden brown. Then add anywhere from 1/2 to a full cup of Marsala wine, depending on your preference for a strong or weak sauce, and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring frequently until the wine has reduced down and then add about 3/4 to 1 cup of chicken stock.
Place the chicken breasts back into the skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until they are done.The sauce should be thickening up at this point so go ahead and add some more of the butter.
Serve over Pasta of your choice And garnish with cheese!
ENJOY
I love chicken alfredo. My favorite is the way my mother and sister in law make it. All I know is that it uses a TON of butter and it’s made in the slow cooker. YUM!
mmmm yummy!! I want to make my own so bad!!! *fingers crossed!!*
The pasta looks amazing. I love pasta but haven’t gotten to try much at home other than cooking a box of pasta and dumping a jar of sauce over it. We just got a new house with a wonderful kitchen and we are just starting to really experiment with cooking.
I LOVE Italian food! Especially anything in a pink sauce!
I love fettuccine alfredo, but don’t eat it too much. The only pasta I’ve made from scratch is potato gnocchi – YUM!
my favorite pasta is homemade mushroom and spinach stuffed ravioli!
http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-made-ravioli.html
Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago Cheese
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network
Ingredients
1 pound fusilli pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8 ounces (1/2 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces) grated Asiago
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and serve.
We love making bruschetta and caprese salad with fresh mozzerella and tomatoes from our garden each summer….a pasta machine would help us create lots of yummy dishes with our summer veggies, too! ;)
One of my favorite Italian dishes to make is the lasagna recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks. My mom and I made two huge dishes for it to have at our family Christmas dinner. YUM!
I’m so glad you were able to make your own pasta — my cousin and I just were talking about wanting to try doing that ourselves on last Saturday. My favorite lasagna recipe can be found at http://www.allrecipes.com. Search for “World’s Best Lasagna.” (Sorry, but it uses ricotta cheese.) Congrats again on your new toy!
My ex husband made the most amazing homemade ravioli…I still dream about it sometimes. When we split he got custody of the pasta machine so I really need this!! He’s gone but that doesn’t mean I should have to live without his delicious ravioli!
I absolutely adore pasta! Could there be anything better? I guess breads run a close second…gotta love those carbs! One of our most favorite meals is orzo pasta with diced red pepper, green pepper, zuccini, asparagus, and chicken with some parmesan cheese and olive oil sprinkled on top. I would love, and I mean LOVE, to try out making my own flavored pastas at home! Thanks for sharing!
Your post is so inspirational….definitely makes me want try my hand at making my own pasta!
Any pasta is great, right? I’d have to say my favorite is browned butter Mizithra like they make at The Old Spaghetti Factory. I’ve found a few yummy recipes but none quite like theirs yet.
I think I would cry if I won this prize. I love pasta soo much! One of my favourites is homemade alfredo sauce which only takes heavy cream, fresh parmesean cheese and I add a little cayenne pepper for a nice kick!
I love all pasta and it loves meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…that’s how I stay so fine and fluffy!!! =0)
I am green pasta envious! I bet that basil pasta was fabulous–it is my favorite! But, like you, I have never made my own. Maybe this will be my chance. I like to mix this very simple pasta salad.
Pesto (make your own or from a jar)
cheese tortellini
grilled chicken
fresh grated parmesan
sundried tomatoes
DELICIOUS!
I love anything Italian! Especially breadsticks and pasta! Yummo!
Anything to do with pasta is my favorite! My absolute favorite is any sort of lemony pasta. Just noodles, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, & olive oil. YUM!
Our favorite is probably fettucine alfredo made with grilled shrimp. That would also be perfect with that basil fettucine that you made. I would love to win the pasta machine and take up a new hobby.
I’m dying to try both of those recipes!! Yummmmm! My favorite super quick “recipe” for pasta is to cook fresh (refrigerated) pasta, then add pesto, steamed veggies and diced chicken and toss and warm through. You don’t need a whole lot of pesto, and the reduced fat version is just as good! Just add some great garlic bread and a salad and dinner is done!
I love Vodka sauce right now. I have no idea why, but I’ve just been loving it lately!
The pasta looks great!! I am def going to have to try that recipe.
LASAGNA….whether it’s my recipe, frozen in the freezer section or at a restaurant in Italy. I just love it!
I have made fresh pasta a few times and always wonder why I don’t do it more often — except that I tend to overeat on stuff like that.
My current favorite pasta is the Pioneer Woman’s Shrimp and Pasta in Foil. I’ve made it twice now, and it is without a doubt the best shrimp ever. We have shrimp at least once a week, but the way the shrimp cooks in her recipe is amazing. It is perfect.
Can’t wait to try your recipe!
My favorite pasta is good old fashion spaghetti!