Mexican Pasta Skillet

About:

Hello again, everyone! It has been a while since my last post, so I feel the need to explain why. My husband and I moved from our apartment to our first house, so I’ve been crazy busy here lately! Anyways, this dish is relatively easy to make. There’s really not much to it, which is perfect for busy days!

Ingredients:

2 cups rotini pasta

1 cup dry black beans

1 1/4 cup water

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 packet taco seasoning (any brand)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small or medium yellow onion, chopped

3-4 small green cayenne peppers, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/4 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1/2 tablespoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste (a lot of pepper)

Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Cook the dry black beans according to the directions on the bag. The amount of water should be specified.
2. After the beans have been cooking for about an hour, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box. Again, the amount of water should be specified.
3. While the beans and pasta are cooking, chop the garlic and onion. Chop and seed the peppers as well.
4. Once the pasta and beans are tender, spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Add the garlic, onion, and peppers. Saute them for about 5 minutes or until the onion is clear and the garlic is fragrant.
5. Remove the pasta and beans from heat. Using a slotted spoon, drain and add the pasta to the skillet one spoonful at a time. Use the slotted spoon to drain and add the black beans to the skillet as well.
6. Add the water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, oregano, Italian seasoning, cumin, paprika, Cajun seasoning, and salt and pepper to the skillet. Stir well.
7. Bring the contents in the skillet to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Top with your favorite toppings (I recommend sour cream and cheese), and enjoy!

Mushroom Rotini Pasta Bake

           Prep time: 25 minutes        Bake time: 25 minutes        Total time: 50 minutes

About:

        I just noticed that I haven’t posted anything relatively Italian on my blog yet! Shame on me, considering how much I eat it! This recipe is easy to make and is also easy to customize to fit your own taste. In this recipe, the sauce is made from a McCormick package because I was too lazy that day to make my own sauce. You may use your own sauce, or a jar of sauce, or any type of spaghetti sauce that you like. You may also replace the mushrooms with soy crumbles. The peppers are optional, but they were growing in my garden so I threw them in there. They add some heat, but not too much. I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 cups rotini pasta

1 package McCormick spaghetti sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 large white onion, chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

10 baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 (small) green cayenne peppers (optional)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing

1 3/4 cup water

A few sprinkles of dried rosemary

Parmesan cheese to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Non-stick cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. In the meantime, chop the garlic, onion, mushrooms, peppers, and fresh basil.
3. While the water for the pasta is being brought to a boil, follow the directions on the back of the McCormick package to create the sauce. Add the water, seasoning from the package, tomato paste, and Italian salad dressing (I know it says oil or butter in the directions, but trust me on this one) into a saucepan. Add the chopped garlic, chopped onion, garlic powder, peppers, onion powder, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper, and half of the fresh basil to the sauce. Stir this in and bring this to a boil.
4. Once the water for the pasta is at a boil, add the 2 cups of rotini pasta to the water.
5. Once the sauce has been brought to a boil, reduce from heat and let simmer about 3-5 minutes. Hint: check on the pasta while the sauce is cooking. You’ll probably have to multi-task.
6. Once the pasta has cooked (about 7-10 minutes, but check it first), remove from heat and drain.
7. Grease the inside of a baking dish (I used a small casserole dish) with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Once the oven is preheated, add the drained noodles to the bottom of the baking dish. Then, add the chopped mushrooms. Pour the sauce over the chopped mushrooms. Stir everything together. Top with Parmesan cheese and the rest of the basil.
9. Place into the oven and let it bake for 25 minutes.
10. Enjoy!