Veggie Pasta Primavera

This is a recipe Andy came up with on the fly to make for friends who just had a baby. We had some summer squash and chard from our CSA that we thought would be great with pasta. I might be able to get Andy to be a little more specific on ingredient amounts, but this is just kind of the way he cooks!

• 1/2 - 3/4 lb mini penne pasta
• 2 small zucchini
• 2 medium yellow neck squash
• oregano
• garlic, minced
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• swiss chard, chopped finely
• 1/2 pint light whipping cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup parmesan, plus more to top if desired
• 1/4 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
• 2 cups frozen peas

Cook pasta according to package directions, set aside. Cube zucchini and squash, toss in pan with oregano, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, saute 10-15 min or until soft. Allow to cool, chop more finely if desired. In the same pan, cook the swiss chard until it wilts, set aside. Mix cream, butter, parmesan, and sour cream in a small sauce pan, bring to a light simmer for 5 minutes. Mix pasta, veggies, cream, and peas in a large bowl until pasta is coated. Add more salt, pepper, oregano, or garlic powder if desired. Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan. Bake 30 min at 350.

Cheesy Shell Bake

This is a recipe that was posted on the mama board I used to be a part of, so I've seen it for 4 years, and tonight was the first time I actually tried it. They all raved about it, but I thought it just sounded "eh." I was wrong! It's a fairly classic baked pasta dish, with a layer of sour cream (or yogurt), shredded cheddar, and parsley in the middle. Evan loved this, too. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of medium shells, cooked al dente - any pasta will work, we used mini penne
• 1lb of ground beef, could also use ground sausage or other meat
• 1 jar of pasta sauce
• 2-3Tbls of dried parsley
• 8oz sour cream or plain yogurt
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• garlic and onions for ground beef if desired
• Optional - veggies! Corn, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, chiles, etc.*

Start the water for the noodles and while they are cooking, brown your beef. Add salt and pepper to taste and diced garlic and onions if you have them and like that. Once the beef is cooked, add the entire jar of tomato sauce. When the shells are ready, drain and add to the sauce beef mixture.

In a separate bowl, add the sour cream, parsley and about a third of the block of cheese. Mix all the ingredients.

Take half of the shell-beef-sauce mixture and put it into a 13x9 baking pan. Then take the sour cream mixture and layer it over the shells in the pan. If you find that you don't have enough sour cream mixture make a little bit more. Put the rest of the shell-sauce-beef on top and cover with the rest of the grated cheese. Cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until all the cheese is melted.

*We actually used leftover corn dip (made from sour cream, shredded cheese, corn, jalapeno, and green chiles) instead of the sour cream mixture, it was excellent! You might want to saute raw veggies a bit or cook with the ground beef to soften before adding.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This was a great way to use up some floppy broccoli we had in the fridge. The soup turned out great, and Noelle even ate 2 bowls!

• 6 Tbsp butter, divided
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
• 4 cups small broccoli florets
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• freshly ground black pepper
• dash of cayenne (optional)

In a large stockpot, melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots to the pan and cook a few minutes more. Stir in the broccoli, chicken or veggie broth, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add the flour and cook 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted. Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot. Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender. Season with ground pepper and a dash of cayenne to taste. If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.