Happy New Year! After the whirlwind of 2020, it’s hard to believe 2021 is here! To celebrate, I want to acknowledge that today is National Spaghetti Day and what could be better than a day dedicated to carbs? Several months ago, we tried Hello Fresh and never looked back. From doing so, I have learned a lot more about cooking and how to use different ingredients to make surprisingly good combinations. So in honor of National Spaghetti Day, here are a few of our favorite ways to make this dish (I just realized we tend to make it with chicken than anything else) as well as one that gives major non-traditional vibes. Enjoy!
Chicken Spaghetti Bolognese with Zucchini
Serves 2
1 Zucchini
9 oz Italian Chicken Sausage
14 oz Crushed Tomatoes
2 tbsp Sour Cream
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
6 oz Spaghetti
1 tbsp Chicken Stock Concentrate (you can use Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
1/4 c Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper
Heat broiler to high. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise into half-moons. Toss zucchini on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Broil until brown and softened, 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add sausage and a little Italian seasoning. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1/2 c pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, stir crushed tomatoes, stock concentrate and 1 tsp sugar into pan with sausage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced, 5-7 minutes. Stir sour cream and 1 tbsp butter into pan with sauce. Add spaghetti and zucchini, toss to coat. (If your pan isn’t large enough, pour everything back into empty pasta pot.) If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water 1 tbsp at a time until pasta is thoroughly coated in sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide between 2 bowls Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
Chicken Spaghetti
1 lb Perfect Chicken, shredded
1 10 oz can Ro-Tel Tomatoes
1 16 oz package Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
2 tbsp Chili Powder
1 lb Spaghetti Noodles, cooked & drained
Cilantro for garnish, chopped
To make perfect chicken, place chicken breasts in your crock pot with about 6 cups of water. Add a couple of bouillon cubes for extra flavor if you’d like and add the lid. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. When you’re ready to cook dinner, remove from crock pot and shred. Perfect every time, hence the name!
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large pot over medium-high heat, mix together the chicken, tomatoes, Velveeta and chili powder. Stir the mixture until the Velveeta melts and then add the cooked pasta and toss everything together. Pour this mixture into your prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are lighted browned and cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve with a sprinkle of cilantro.
Chicken over Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti
Serves 2
2 Roma Tomatoes
1 tbsp Tuscan Seasoning
12 oz Chicken Breasts
1/4 Parmesan Cheese
1 Clove of Garlic
6 oz Spaghetti
4 tbsp Cream Cheese
3 tbsp Butter
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400F degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut tomatoes into 6 wedges each. Peel and place whole garlic clove on a small piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cinch into a packet. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil. Place tomatoes skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil, season with 1 tsp tuscan seasoning, salt and pepper. Place garlic foil packet on same sheet. Roast on middle rack until tomatoes have wilted slightly and garlic is soft, 20-25 minutes. Once water in boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 2/3 c pasta cooking water, then drain. While pasta cooks, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season with 1 tsp tuscan seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Turn off heat; cover to keep warm. Once garlic is roasted, open foil and mash with a fork. Melt 1 tbsp butter in pot used for spaghetti over medium heat. Add mashed garlic and remaining tuscan seasoning. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in cream cheese, half the parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp butter and reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer, then turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add drained spaghetti to pot with sauce, toss to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper. Slice chicken crosswise. Divide pasta between bowls. Top with chicken and roasted tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and serve.
Asian Fusion Spaghetti & Meatballs
Serves 2
Meatballs
10 oz Ground Beef
1 thumb Ginger
1/4 c Panko Breadcrumbs
1 1/3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Korean Chili Flakes
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper, to taste
Sauce
4 tbsp Mayonnaise
4 tsp Honey
2 tsp Sriracha, or to taste
4 tbsp Sour Cream
4 tsp Soy Sauce
6 oz Spaghetti
2 Scallions
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Trim and thinly slice scallions — separate greens from whites. Peel and mince ginger. In a large bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, honey, soy sauce and sriracha to taste. In a pot, bring salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta. Cook until al dente, drain and return to pot. While the noodles are cooking, combine beef, panko, ginger, scallion whites, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Form mixture into 10-12 1 1/2in meatballs. Please meatballs on one side of a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake until meatballs are cooked through, 14-16 minutes. Toss pasta with as much or as little of sauce as desired and divide between 2 bowls. Top with your meatballs and green scallions. Serve immediately.
These meatballs are SO good! and if you choose not to serve them as a spaghetti dish, serve over jasmine rice. Also half the sauce recipe and just drizzle on top of your rice and meatball bowl. Yum!
Bon appetite!
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