Go-To Dinner Recipes

We have a couple of recipes that we make pretty much once a week. We have made them so much, that I don’t even have the recipe written down anymore  for the first one.. They are both super easy and are ready in less than 30 min.

Jon and I don’t eat a lot of meat. We aren’t vegetarians and we love our hamburgers like the best of them, but we just don’t cook a lot of meat at home so both of these dishes are meatless. However, I have made both with some pan fried seasoned chicken and they taste great.

I’m pretty sure this one if from allrecipe.com but I can’t seem to find it. We call it cherry tomato pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1pk cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I buy the ones in the red mesh bags, I think they taste the best)
• angel hair or spaghetti pasta
• a few cloves are garlic, sliced or chopped (I typically use 4-5 but we love garlic)
• red pepper flakes (I think the recipe calls for a 1/4 teaspoon, but I don’t measure and probably use more because we like it hot)
• olive oil (maybe 2 tablespoons; enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
• grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• boil water and cook pasta per directions on the package
• heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat
• add sliced garlic and sauté for a few minutes
• sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two more
• add in cherry tomatoes and sauté for a couple more minutes
• serve tomato mixture over the pasta and top with grated parmesan.

This one is from food.com. We call this spinach olive pasta

Ingredients:

• penne pasta (really anything will work)
• olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• a few garlic cloves sliced or chopped (again I use 4-5, but I think the recipe calls for 3)
• about 2 cups of fresh spinach chopped
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 3/4 cup feta cheese
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

• cook pasta per package
• in large bowl, mix oil, vinegar, and garlic and whisk together
• add spinach (once you add the hot pasta it will wilt down), olives and capers. and feta
• drain pasta and add it to the mixture.
• add pepper to taste (I don’t usually add any pepper because I think it has enough flavor already).

Both these taste great with a big slice of buttered French bread and a glass of wine.

Do you have any go to recipes? The ones whose ingredients you know off the top of your head and you can just throw together at a moments notice?

-Lauren-