Veggie Cavatappi Recipe

I think I've teased you long enough. I finally got a minute to type up the recipe that was inspired by Lacy's recipe. I really wanted to make Lacy's recipe but found I didn't have all the ingredients. Story of my life. So instead of running out to the store I just punted. Whatever I did must have worked because JR and the homeboy loved this stuff. It goes without saying that I liked it. I have hardly met a food I didn't like. Add a fattening cheesy sauce to scrap wood and I'd eat it (and it's vegetarian).

A couple of days later I took the left-overs, a little rue, 4 cups of broth, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper tossed it into a pot to make soup. Served it up in some bread bowls that I got on sale on the day-old bread shelf at the grocery store. This stuff became a big hit again. Ya gotta love a recipe that keeps on giving.

Enjoy!

Oh BTW, I don't really measure stuff real well so all the measurements are approximates. I'm more of a handful of this and a handful of that kind of gal.

Veggie Cavatappi

5 tablespoons butter

¾ cup chopped onion or shallots

¼ each yellow squash, zucchini, and green pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups fresh spinach (trimmed and washed)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Handful of sun dried tomatoes, julienned

1 cup dry Marsala wine

½ cup cream cheese

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves or 1 tablespoon dried

1 pound any olé dried short pasta, such as cavatappi, fusilla, farfalle but not spaghetti

Chop garlic, onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and green pepper. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add chopped veggies and sun dried tomatoes. Sauté until just tender. Drain off juices. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, parsley and cream. Simmer gently over very low heat until pasta is done. The sauce should be really thick.

Cook pasta according to the directions. When al dente drain reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water and put into a big bowl. Toss in the spinach and basil, distribute evenly in the pasta. Add sauce. Toss until all the pasta is covered with sauce. If it is too thick add small amounts of the pasta water until it is the consistency you like for pasta sauce. Taste. Good? No? Salt and pepper to taste.

I served this with marinated grilled chicken breasts for the guys. You can toss cooked chicken in if you lean that way.

And you really should give Lacy's recipe a try.

Love,

M