Pasta Tricolore

• 500 g (16 oz box) whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 fistful of pine nuts
• appr. 30 small cherry tomatoes
• 1 package (250 g) of Halloumi cheese (Greek cheese for grilling)
• 20 dried tomatoes (when in olive oil: rinse a bit)
• 1 mozzarella cheese ball (rinse and try to get it at room temperature)
• fresh basil
• olive oil
• 12 slices of prosciutto crudo (or any kind of dry cured ham)

• First you’ve got to cut, cut, cut!

• Fry pine nuts without oil in a non-stick pan for about a minute.  They should not get dark!  Set aside.

• While the spaghetti is being cooked al dente in salted water (see package) fry Halloumi in a non-stick pan until it turns brown.  (You wanna get that yummy crust ;-)  Set aside.

• Put tomatoes in the very same pan and melt a bit.  Add dried tomatoes.  Heat and stir for a minute or two.

• When pasta has finished cooking and you have rinsed it, put it back in the pot.  Add tomatoes and Halloumi.  Cover the pot, set aside and let rest for about 5 minutes.  (Believe me, it’s worth it.  We found out because the second helping always tasted better ;-)…  I guess because the pasta can absorb all the yummy tomato flavor!

In the meantime place ham slices on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.  Grill in the oven for about a minute or so.  (Depends on your grill actually!)   They should get a bit brown and crispy.  The crispier, the better!

• Put on a plate and drizzle with some good olive oil.

• Sprinkle with pine nuts, mozzarella and basil.  Place ham chips on top.  Serve and enjoy!  For a heartier version: drizzle with more olive oil ;-) or add more ham strips.
• Buon appetito!

Brought to you by Shabby Princess!

Spinach Feta Pasta

Spinach and Feta Pasta

Recipe by Our Best Bites

This is one of my new favorite pasta dishes.  It is so easy and so yummy!  I like to serve it with garlic bread.  Try it out!  You'll love it!

8 oz. Penne pasta (that’s 1/2 a 16 oz. box. Don’t use ziti–you want the ridges on the penne to “grip” the sauce) I used bowtie noodles and they worked good too.
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 c. fresh spinach (you don’t even have to chop it! Could life get any better??)
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
A handful of fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook according to package directions. In the meantime, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add tomatoes, heat through, and then add drained pasta and crumbled feta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve; you can crumble a little extra feta on top if you feel the urge. Even my pickiest eater loves this meal, so you really can’t go wrong! Got a little extra time on your hands? Try serving it with Rosemary Focaccia or Garlic Breadsticks.
Serves 8
Nutritional Information
Calories: 186
Fat: 5.3
Fiber: 3.4