Spaghetti Del Este

I get so excited for summer-time with fresh vegetables in the garden so I can make this yummy recipe my sister Janina gave me (it's in the family cookbook, in case you are wondering). Two recipes in a row from you Stumps:). Thanks for being great cooks! I think you can use this as a main dish, or as a salad (if using as a salad, I usually just change the pasta type to bow-tie or something else bite-size).

Ingredients:

1/2 c. olive oil (I sometimes use less, then add more if needed)

1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, cubed

1 tsp. basil (fresh is always better)

1 tsp. oregano

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1 small can sliced black olives, drained (I don't always add these)

6-8 large tomatoes, chopped into small pieces (in the picture, I used some green and red tomatoes, not non-ripe ones, but a tomato called Green Zebra that doesn't turn red)

Angel hair pasta

Directions:

Mix everything together except for the pasta. Set aside at room temperature for 3 hours, stirring occasionally (still yummy if you don't have that much time!). When ready to serve, boil angel hair pasta until done, drain, and quickly stir into the mixture and serve. Janina says she usually makes about 6 c. of pasta, I think I make less, but then use less olive oil too. I like to add sliced mushrooms to mine. I've tried it with shredded mozzarella cheese, but the chunks are good, kind of like a meaty addition. I also think some grilled chicken would be fabulous in this!

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

This is possibly my favorite salad ever. We rarely eat all the salad in one day, so I keep the romaine lettuce out and just mix all the other ingredients together. Sometimes, we use baby spinach and that's great, too! When we eat it over the next couple of days, we put a bed of romaine lettuce/baby spinach on a plate and put the pasta salad on top. The fresh basil is essential. Delicious!

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed (In a rush, the canned kind works great!)
3 cups penne pasta, cooked
2 cups romaine lettuce, sliced
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (I usually just use chopped tomatoes.)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing, more or less to taste (I love Ken's Steakhouse Creamy Caesar.)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a large bowl; toss well and serve.

Pasta with Chicken

This isn't a very appealing picture but this pasta is a great twist on the same ol' boring spaghetti.






Ingredients:
1 pkg. thin spaghetti (or whatever pasta your family likes)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. garlic
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2-14.5 oz. cans diced Italian tomatoes
1-2 chicken breasts, grilled and cubed
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese (if you have it)

Directions:
Cook Noodles. In separate pan saute garlic in olive oil. Stir in diced tomatoes & vinegar. Add grilled chicken, cook at med-high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss pasta w/sauce and season to taste.

**Please Note: This recipe was originally posted by my sister in law Melanie. There was some problems with the html when I was fixing the spaces in all the posts, so I had to repost it! Sorry Mel!***