Garlic-Tomato Pasta with Peas

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

Garlic-Tomato Pasta with Peas

I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine

kosher salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

10 oz. angel hair pasta

1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus more for topping

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the edges start to turn golden, about 1 min. Add the tomato paste to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 min. Add the red pepper flakes, then add 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water, stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 min, adding the peas halfway through. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until softened but not cooked through, 2-4 min. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Add the pasta to the skillet along with the basil; toss over medium heat, adding more of the reserved cooking water if needed, until the pasta is al dente. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan. Top each serving with basil and the remaining parmesan.

THE VERDICT: This stuff was AMAZING. Next time I think we're going to skip the red pepper flakes since it was a bit too spicy for my taste, and Jake wasn't a huge fan of how many peas were in the pasta so we might cut back on those a bit as well. It didn't last us very long, so if you have a household of more than 2 people I highly recommend doubling the recipe!

Cauliflower Chowder

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

Cauliflower Chowder

4 slices bacon, diced

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup 2% milk

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

 Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

 Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.

 Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower are tender, about 12-15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the chowder is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.

THE VERDICT: It was nearly impossible to make the rue with all those veggies in the pot, so next time I'm going to do it in a separate pot and then add to veggie pot. But this turned out AMAZING! Jake's not a cauliflower fan, and even he loved it. It was surprisingly more filling than we were expecting. And tastes even more delicious with some cheddar cheese sprinkled on top!