Pasta Malafemmina

Although fall is just around the corner, inspiring visions of the pumpkin pies, simmering soups, and steaming cups of hot chocolate to come, summer is still very much clinging on, outside as well as inside my kitchen. Usually I am ready for fall within the first couple of weeks of the sweltering Central Valley summer, but this time I'm holding on a bit - mainly because I'm still enjoying the myriad of produce the summer brings.

Indeed, I'm not quite ready to give up my favorites, such as the beautiful red, yellow, and orange tomatoes I used for this dish. But, luckily, I still have a few more weeks to get my fill before jumping headfirst into fall!

This recipe was inspired by a pasta dish I had while in Italy (Check it out here!). The original dish I had was literally one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. I didn't know exactly what went into it, but I of course wanted to try it out as soon as I got home. I knew the original had a very light tomato sauce, which was probably more olive oil than tomato, so I started there. Then I added in a healthy helping of capers, some kalamata olives, and a few other ingredients I discerned from taste and picture. It turned out very yummy!

Pesto Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Kale

After taking such a long break from the blogging world, I decided to ease back in with a simple recipe that’s easy to throw together and takes very little time to prepare (basically the time it takes to boil pasta). I used whole wheat spaghetti and loads of vitamin-rich kale to make it a healthier dish that I can make regularly without hurting my waistline. Earthy, meaty mushrooms provide some bulk, fresh lemon juice brightens everything up and compliments the mushrooms amazingly well, and the rest of the ingredients just kind of happened as I was going along, as most of my recipes tend to do. I think it turned out pretty well, and I hope you do too.

Let’s get cooking!

Vegetarian Gyros

When my husband and I lived in our first apartment, we used to love going to the gyro place down the street. Their freshly made flatbread, overflowing with seasoned meat and cool tzatziki sauce, was practically irresistible! After moving away, and especially after becoming vegetarian, gyros became a thing of the past. Other yummy foods happily took their place, until my sister recently suggested I try making Tzatziki Sauce for the blog. This immediately reminded me of my gyro loving days, and suddenly I was wondering why I had never tried making a vegetarian version before. The idea seemed simple enough, so I began looking for recipes I could adapt. I found a meat version I liked on tammysrecipes.com, and thought mushrooms would be a great substitution, since they have a meaty texture and adapt to different flavors well. 

Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. It. Was. So. Good. And much healthier than the meat version I used to love. This recipe definitely makes the cut for my weekly rotation!

Tzatziki Sauce

A few weeks ago my sister made the suggestion that I try making homemade tzatziki sauce for the blog. For those unfamiliar, it’s a Greek appetizer made with yogurt and cucumber, and works great as a dip or spread. I wanted to make Vegetarian Gyros last night, which would not be complete without the cool and creamy taste of tzatziki, so I decided to finally take her advice and give it a try! I found a recipe that I liked on tammysrecipes.com, and the instructions seemed simple enough, so I got started.

Spaghetti Alfredo with Lemon and Capers

Pasta. I love it. It is such a ridiculously easy thing to make, and can be ready in a matter of minutes after a long day. Not to mention the fact that it goes incredibly well with the other thing I really love: cheese. 

 

I got the idea for this from a dish I used to order at California Pasta Productions in Chico, CA when my husband and I lived there. If you ever get a chance to go, you will not be disappointed. They make fresh pasta daily, which you can even buy in bulk to take home. 

I checked their current menu to find the name of the dish that inspired me, but sadly it isn’t listed anymore. If I can remember correctly theirs had pine nuts, but I decided to use capers instead, which paired really well with the lemon and cream. I will definitely be making this one again soon.