Pasta Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Sun Dried Tomatoes

A fresh and healthy pasta salad with grilled eggplants, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella

 An irresistible combination of Mediterranean flavors!

 A hot weekend is coming up here in Los Angeles. I can't wait to jump in the warm ocean water and relax on the sand. And if, like me, you are planning to spend your Sunday at the beach or somewhere else fun, here is a great picnic lunch idea.

This pasta salad is very simple to make. It's vegetarian, healthy, fresh and very tasty. You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. And then you just bring it along to the beach or park in your cooler.
I generally prefer eating this salad at room temperature (not cold from the refrigerator and not hot from the stove). I chose farfalle pasta this time, but you can really use any shape of short pasta. I would really not recommend spaghetti for a pasta salad.
Here is the recipe for you. And have an amazing weekend :)

Ingredients, serving 4 people:                  PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 1 medium eggplant
• a couple of whole sun-dried tomatoes (I used about 5 halves - Colavita, tomatoes in olive oil)
• 1 garlic clove
• 8 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• oregano
• salt
• 12 oz pasta

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.
2. Cut the eggplant in thin slices. Grill the eggplants, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

3. Cut the grilled eggplants in small strips. In a large bowl, add the eggplants, the garlic cut in slices, the sun-dried tomatoes cut in pieces and sliced garlic

4. Drain the pasta, run it under cold water to stop it from overcooking. Add to the bowl and mix well. Add the mozzarella cut in small cubes and mix again. Add more olive oil and oregano if necessary. Easy as that :)

Buon Appetito!

Creamy Penne Pasta with Zucchini, Pancetta and Ricotta Cheese

Perfect one-dish dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes

Creamy and rich penne pasta with wholesome zucchini, flavorful pancetta and delicate ricotta cheese.

Here is another recipe great for a family dinner on a busy weeknight. 

This pasta is super easy to prepare. It won't take you more than 30 minutes from start to finish. And it makes a healthy, complete and balanced one-dish meal. It has a full serving of  vegetables, carbs from the pasta, proteins from the ricotta and Parmesan cheese and ... oh well, the pancetta. Not as healthy as the rest, but it's sinfully delicious taste makes this dish incredibly flavorful. 

Here are other simple and quick pasta recipes with zucchini that are ready in less than 30 minutes. Buon appetito!

Fettuccine Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplants, and Peppers

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Zucchini

Penne Pasta with Shrimps and Zucchini

Ingredients: serving 4

• half onion
• 4 medium zucchini
• 8 oz  (225 gr) whole milk ricotta
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 3 oz (85 gr) of pancetta (or thin sliced bacon)
• 12 oz (225 gr) of penne pasta (or other shape)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Directions:

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the penne pasta when boiling following the directions on the box.
In a large skillet, saute' the chopped onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat.

Step 2: Add the zucchini cut in small pieces. Saute' over medium-high flame for 7-10 minutes. Season with salt.

Step 3: Add the pancetta cut in strips and saute' for a couple of more minutes.

Step 4: In a bowl prepare the ricotta by mixing it with a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, the Parmesan cheese and about a 1/4 cup of hot water from the pot where the pasta is cooking. Mix and make it creamy.

Step 5: Drain the pasta and toss it in the skillet with the zucchini and the ricotta. Serve immediately. 

Buon appetito!

Traditional Italian Spaghetti Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino

Spaghetti drizzled with hot and garlic-infused olive oil. 

A classic Italian dish, so simple and yet so delicious.

The classic Italian spaghetti aglio, olio and peperoncino (garlic, oil and hot peppers) is the quickest and easiest pasta you can possibly prepare.
And it's one of my family's favorite. It's a great recipe for all those occasions when time is of essence: the kids are starving and begging for food. Or also when the fridge is mostly empty, and there is no time for a run to the grocery store.This pasta takes no more than 15 minutes from start to finish. And it's made with very simple and basic ingredients which I always have available in my kitchen.
To make this recipe a success you need a good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley (better if the flat, Italian type) and hot peperoncini, which are those tiny, dry, and extremely spicy red peppers. The fruity flavor of the olive oil is complemented by the spicy and nutty taste of garlic and peperoncino. And the chopped parsley, sprinkled over the pasta at the end, balances all the flavors and adds freshness to this typical Italian dish. As I said: so simple, yet so delicious!
Buon appetito!

Ingredients: serving 4 people

• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 peperoncini (dry hot peppers)
• a small bunch of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 12 oz of spaghetti pasta (thin or angel hair)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it boils, cook the spaghetti following the time direction on the box. Make sure to cook the pasta al dente, so my suggestion is to set the timer for one minute less than indicated on the box. Taste the pasta before draining.
2. Saute' the garlic cut in slices with the peperoncino broken in pieces for a couple of minutes in the olive oil. Turn off the heat once the garlic is slightly golden.

3. Drain the spaghetti. Drizzle with the olive oil infused with the garlic. You can remove the garlic and peperoncino if you prefer, or leave it with the pasta, for a bolder flavor. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Creamy Pasta with Shrimps and Zucchini

Creamy and rich. Fresh and delicate. 

This one-dish pasta dinner is made with shrimps, zucchini, saffron, heavy cream and fresh Italian parsley.

Simple ingredients to make a very special weeknight dinner.

No need to wait for a special occasion to try this pasta with shrimps and zucchinis.

You should make your family dinner remarkable and unique every night. And you can do that when you have a recipe like this one: easy to follow and quick to make. 

This pasta features few simple ingredients into a super creamy and rich dish. The buttery and sweet flavor of the shrimps perfectly combines with the delicate taste of the zucchini. All mixed together with velvety heavy cream, a dash of lavish saffron, and a sprinkle of fresh Italian parsley. Delicious! 

Here is the recipe for you.

Ingredients: serving 4

• 1 lb of uncooked, cleaned whole shrimps
• 2 zucchinis
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced or crushed
• a pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 12 oz of cellentani pasta, or other short like penne, rigatoni or fusilli

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Clean the shrimps and cut about half in pieces and leave the rest uncut. Cut the zucchini in thin slices. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, saute' the garlic (minced or crushed) with the olive oil. After one minute add the shrimps and the zucchini. Salt to taste, and saute' for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
Stir in the saffron and the heavy cream. Simmer over medium-low heat until the zucchini are ready, as soft or as crunchy as you like them. Turn off the heat if ready before the spaghetti, add some cream if the sauce dries up too much. Adjust with salt if necessary.

Step 3: Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, toss quickly mixing well with the sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!