I have a pretty fun recipe to share with you today.  Remember back around the new year  – we went to a potluck and I was unsure what to bring.  Well I was surfing the net looking for ideas and I strolled by Heidi’s 101 Cookbooks and found an very interesting and delicious pasta dish.  Once laying my eyes on the picture I was hooked and then I read deeper into the recipe and I was all set.  I had all the ingredients on hand minus the mozzarella so that was a snap to pick up.

I thought about adding a few ingredients to it that I had on hand not that it needed it -I just thought it would be nice to use of the stuff I had in the fridge.  The additions were chicken, bacon and roasted tomatoes.  Let’s just say it was a huge hit at the potluck.

Ingredients

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta shells
• sea salt
• 2 Chicken breasts (sliced and cooked)
• 8 pieces of bacon  (cooked and crumbled)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups well-chopped fresh spinach
• 10-12 Roasted grape tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• zest of 2 lemons
• 8 ounces mozzarella, shredded or torn into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.





2. Butter/oil a large casserole dish or baking pan – something roughly equivalent to 13×9-inch pan.



3. In a separate saute pan cook the bacon until crispy and then remove and set aside.



4. In a separate saute pan dry roast the almonds until brown and then remove and set aside.
5. Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions. Drain pasta, toss with some olive oil. Set aside.
6. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Saute the chicken with a couple pinches of salt until no longer pink.







7. While the chicken is cooking, pop some tomatoes in the oven to start the roasting process – toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 12-15 minutes.







8. Back to the chicken -stir in garlic and roasted tomatoes and let cook for a minute.  Toss in bacon and spinach. Cook for just about 20 seconds, until the spinach collapses a bit.









9. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the almonds and 1/2 of the zest; mixing extremely well, a minute or so.



10. Now sprinkle the bottom of baking dish with the rest of the zest.



11. Add a layer of the pasta to the bottom of the baking pan, now sprinkle with some of the cheese and chicken mixture, add more pasta, then more cheese and more chicken mixture until complete. Finish with a layer of cheese.









12. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly.
13. Serve sprinkled with the remaining almonds.



14. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: This pasta dish was really really good!  The only thing I noticed is that if you overcook it at all it will become pretty dry.  To avoid this you could add a little lemon juice to the chicken mixture and just be sure not to over bake the pasta and eat right away.

Around the Blogsphere

Are you ever looking for great blogs that have fun and exciting recipes?  I thought you would be so I decided I would share with you a few of my favorites in case you didn’t already know.

Here are some great recipe blogs that you will sure to find handy.

Kayln’s Kitchen – For a great combination of home cooked ideas, healthy alternatives and all around great recipes – this is a great spot.

Southern Plate – For all things Southern, Christy has it covered.  If you have never been here – it is a must to see.

RecipeGirl - This site has a lot of action, great recipes and Lori really knows how to cook.  Check it out.

Bakerella - Ever want to learn how to make the most amazing cake pops.  Bakerella is really amazing.

Joythebaker - For all things baking, it is a must to check out Joy.  You may never leave.

So there you have it.  A truly fun recipe to try on a Sunday afternoon and a great list of recipe blogs that you should check out for sure.  I hope you have a great Wednesday and I think I may have a little announcement on Friday.  Nothing major but just a little more fun.

Before I go besure to checkout OpenSky as they are still donating all the profits to the Haiti relief fund.  It is great to be associated with a great group like the folks at OpenSky – kindness and generosity are two great attributes.   If you need to buy anything – by all means now is a great time to do it.

Have a super Wednesday.

Take care

zest

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was filled family activities such as a family music lesson, shopping for furniture, a fun family dinner, lots of Sudoku and some relaxation.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  It is back to another week at the grind.

 How is your work going?  Mine seems very hectic but time is flying by and I am surviving.  I try not to complain about work because I love what I am doing and often times nobody listens when you complain.

I have been meaning to share this salad with you for a while and I keep forgetting.  It has made it to the top of my list  now and ready for display.  I was first introduced to this salad a few months ago by a Zesty -In-Law.  I really like the ingredient selection and the balance of flavors.  I am pretty sure you will have a hankering for this one when you see the details.

This was one of the features at our New Years Day potluck.

Ingredients

• 1 Pint each of red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion ( chopped)
• 1/2 Cup Kalamata or black olives
• 1/4 Cup Red wine vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 Cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 Tsp. Garlic powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
• 250g Whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 14 Cup raisins
• 1/4 Cup Toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Cut tomatoes in half, then place in a large bowl.
2. Chop onion and coarsely chop olives; add with tomatoes
3. Drizzle with vinegar and oil.
4. Add feta, dill and dried seasonings and mix well; Let stand at room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions.  Add raisins to the boiling pasta for the last minute of cooking.
6. Before draining pasta, remove 1/4 of pasta water.
7. Drain pasta and raisins then add to tomato mixture and stir.  If you find the pasta too dry, add a little bit of water.
8. Taste and add more cheese and dill if desired.
9. Spoon into bowls and top with toasted pine nuts



10. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For a slightly drier version of the salad you can omit the olive oil and just go with the red wine vinegar.  Zesty in law did just that and it was fabulous.

I was really impressed with the tomatoes in the salad.  I am not a fan of olives at all but I didn’t mind them in this salad for some reason.  I think my favorite part had to be the feta cheese and the fresh tomatoes.  This is a huge success in the summer when you can use your garden fresh grape tomatoes.

What is your all time favorite pasta salad? I am always on the look out for a great pasta salad that can be made on a Sunday and ready to eat through the week when you are in a pinch.  Tell me yours in the comments.

I hope you have an awesome day today.

Take care

zesty