Perfect Pasta Bowl

This week we finally experienced Wawona’s first snow of the season! It happened on Monday. Well, I suppose it started Sunday night, but at that point, it was an uncertain snow, just a dusting. But when we woke up, a blanket! It kept snowing too, until we had almost a foot. This is the most snow I’ve had since I left Michigan after my freshman year of college. We all reveled in it. As soon as we finished our necessary tasks for the day, we went sledding… obviously. A day of hiking through the snow along with the general excitement left all of us feeling pretty tired and hungry. Pasta sounded perfect and some recent dieting intentions ensured that the fridge was packed full of vegetables. My plan? To fit as much of this as I could into a giant bowl.

If you plan on mixing your vegetables with something other than just sauce, pasta strands (spaghetti, fettuccini, etc.) don’t always work the best. When I add veggies or meats, I usually go for Penne, but all we had was some huge bags of macaroni. Macaroni is often overlooked when not being used with its classic sidekick cheese. However, macaroni is great if you’re feeding a crowd. You’ll get more bang for your buck with macaroni than with most larger pasta noodles (rigatoni, ziti, penne, etc.), since these just have bigger empty spaces.

This pasta hit the spot for sure. It was really filling, but also easy and fast. If you don’t have all the ingredients I used, don’t sweat it; just use whatever you have in the fridge. This is definitely a good dish to improvise with.

Perfect Pasta Bowl
Serves 8

2 lbs macaroni noodles
3 Tbs olive oil
3 large garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed
½ red onion finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1 zucchini quartered and sliced
1 bunch green onions finely chopped
1 large tomato chopped
4-6 c baby spinach leaves
4 Morningstar Farms Chik Patties, thawed in microwave
1 c feta cheese crumbled
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

In large pot, boil macaroni according to instructions on package.

Heat oil in large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until they just start to become soft. Add jalapeno and red pepper and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add zucchini, green onions and tomato.

In separate pan, fry Chik Patties in a little olive oil until crispy. Cut into small pieces and add to vegetables along with the spinach. Cook until spinach begins to wilt, then remove from heat.

Stir vegetable mixture, feta cheese and dried herbs together with pasta in large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips: If you’re not into spicy food, you can skip the jalapeno pepper. This dish is also good with cheeses other than feta. Parmesan, asiago, romano or goat cheese would be really good. You could skip the cheese altogether for a tasty vegan option as well. I actually served it with some medium cheddar on the side for the cheese lovers to add at will.

Herbed Macaroni and Cheese

Donnie and I had a day off of work today. We decided to drive down the mountain to Oakhurst to buy a new oven, browse through some of the thrift shops and pick up some groceries. The drive down was a lovely one. The non-coniferous trees are finally setting themselves apart from the endless pines in shades of yellow and orange. Although the colors are nowhere near as vibrant as my home state of Michigan, they remind me of my younger autumns and of course, my mother’s cooking.

My mom is a vegan now, but she use to whip up some amazingly dairy laden dishes. The one I always requested on my birthday was her baked macaroni and cheese. The edges would come out brown and chewy, something you’ll never get from a box. Which is why when Donnie tried to buy some boxed mac and cheese at the grocery store, I cut him a deal: I’d make the real thing if he’d leave that awful stuff on the shelf.

I would have called Mom for her recipe, but just a few weeks ago, I ran across a tasty-sounding version in Sunset Magazine. Although I didn’t have the brie and fresh herbs it called for (or the bacon for that matter), I figured it would still be delicious with some variations. FYI, this dish is pretty heavy, high in calories and carbs. Pair it with a vegetable or salad for some balance, no need for bread or another side.


Herbed Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 4

12 oz. elbow macaroni
3 Morningstar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips (or any bacon substitute)
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp each of dried tarragon, basil and rosemary
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ c. green onions, chopped
½ c. cream cheese
¼ c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. Italian breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook macaroni, drain and set aside in another bowl.

While pasta is cooking, fry veggie bacon strips ‘til crisp, then chop into small pieces.


In the warm pasta pot, add whipping cream, cream cheese, half of the shredded cheddar, 2 Tbsp. of the butter, herbs, garlic salt, onions and the bacon strips.

Stir until melted and blended well, then mix with the pasta.

Transfer macaroni and cheese into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

In small bowl, combine the rest of the melted butter with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over mac and cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Tips: Any fragrant herbs would be good in this recipe. If you’d like to use fresh ones, use a ¼ cup of each. If you’re willing to shell out the extra bucks for the brie like the original recipe calls for, you can replace a half cup of it for the whipping cream. Also, I used garlic salt to be quick, but fresh garlic and some sea salt would work well.