Ingredients:
12. oz tortellini pasta (I used frozen sun-dried tomato tortellini)
2 tablespoons earth balance buttery spread (non dairy)
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons pesto sauce (I use the Dorot frozen cubes. 1 cube = 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
12 oz. artichoke hearts

Directions:
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Once cooked, remove from water and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of water and set aside. Heat up earth balance in a large pot until melted. Add the flour and whisk together until smooth and combined. Add the milk and whisk together until smooth and combined. Continue to whisk together until thickened. Add the pesto and season with salt, pepper and garlic. Drain the artichokes and add to the sauce and whisk together with sauce. Once nice and thick, turn off heat and add the pasta into the sauce. Mix together and serve with freshly chopped basil and red pepper flakes. (optional, for those that like it spicy!)

*Tips&Tricks: If you do not like artichokes, you can replace them with wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms and onions, or simply stick with pasta. You can also swap the tortellini for your favorite pasta! If you want to make this dairy, simple use butter instead of the earth balance and use milk or heavy cream instead of soy milk. If serving this dairy, be sure to add some parmesan on top after it’s cooked. There is nothing like yummy fresh grated parmesan!

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Ingredients:
1 pint of roasted grape tomatoes (get recipe HERE)
1 bag of spinach (about 4 cups)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons earth balance natural buttery spread
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups of almond milk (or soy)
8 oz. pasta (I used Trader Joes Garlic Basil Linguine but any long pasta will do such as fettucini or spaghetti)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon basil, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. While the pasta cooks and you roast the tomatoes (recipe HERE) saute olive oil and garlic in a large pot. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Once wet and wilted, it will reduce in size. Remove from heat and set aside. Using the same large pot, melt the earth balance buttery spread and add the flour. Whisk until combined and slightly thick. Add the milk and whisk until combined and continue to whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick. If you want it to be thicker, you can add an additional tablespoon of flour. Once sauce is thickened, add the spinach and tomatoes and combine well. Add pasta to pot of sauce and whisk together. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir several minutes over heat then turn off fire. Add fresh lemon basil and mix together before serving.

*Tips&Tricks: You can easily make this recipe dairy by using butter instead of the earth balance, and using heavy cream or cows milk instead of almond milk. If you make this dairy, serve with parmesan cheese shredded or grated on top.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Ingredients:
1 box of cooked pasta of your choice
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips or small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 15oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 6oz. package of sliced mushrooms
1 14oz. can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

Directions:
Combine chicken pieces, olive oil, paprika, black pepper and salt in a large zip lock bag. Shake well. Saute the chicken in a large pan until no longer pink. Add crushed tomatoes and mushroom slices. Cook until mushrooms are slightly tender then add the prepared pasta with the coconut milk, oregano and rosemary and mix well. Cook several minutes before serving.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

This dish is a fav of both adults and children for it’s creamy goodness. If you want to make it a healthier meal for the fams, throw in broccoli or cauliflower after mixing the cheese in, right before baking it with the crumb topping.

Ingredients:
1 box of medium sized shells, cooked and drained
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups of whole milk
1 tsp ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated cheese, mix of cheddar and mozzarella
1/2 cup of fine panko crumbs
1/2 cup of Parmesan grated cheese

Directions:
First melt butter, once bubbly add flour and mix until golden then slowly add milk, stirring until thickens. Once thick remove from heat and add mustard, salt and pepper and cheese, mix well then add pasta mixing until all combined. Place pasta in a baking dish and top with the panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake on 350′ for about 20 minutes until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Ingredients:
1 box of whole grain linguine
1 onion diced, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
Mushrooms, sliced
Spinach, fresh or frozen
1 8oz. container low fat cream cheese
1 cup of 2% milk
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in some olive oil. Once golden, add the mushrooms. Cook until tender and add the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook and then add the cream cheese. Once melted add the milk and parmesan. Combine well. Add the pasta and stir over low heat until heated through. Top each serving with additional parmesan.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

You know when you make something that you just can’t stop eating? Well for me, this is the recipe! It’s a pasta salad with a zing to it that I love! Today, we served it at my cousin’s bridal shower and it was definitely a hit. It can be served hot or cold and lasts for a few days in the fridge (although it’s best served fresh).

Ingredients:
Sauce:
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1-1/2 cups sundried tomatoes plus oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Bowtie or other pasta
2 Tbsp each fresh parsley and basil, chopped
mushrooms, sauteed
goat cheese
Parmesan

Directions:
1) Boil noodles according to package directions. Coat with olive oil to keep from sticking together.
2) Mix together all ingredients for sauce in a food processor (don’t leave out the fennel seeds – that’s what gives it the tangy taste)
3) Saute mushrooms
4) Mix pasta with sauce, mushrooms, goats cheese
5) Garnish with parmesan, fresh basil and fresh parsley

~ Recipe submitted by Erin Grunstein of “Erin’s Kosher Cooking Adventures”

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling heavy salted water. White the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the cream. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove some of the hot cream mixture and mix it into the egg yolks to temper them so they do not scramble with you add them into the lager pan of hot cream. Whisk the yolks into the cream. Turn off the heat and whisk in the Parmesan. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the pasta and toss together with tongs.

This recipe is really easy and heaven!

~ Recipe submitted by Ahuva Meystel

Directions:
Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Stir in vodka, simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes simmer another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until liquid evaporates. Stir in heavy cream. Simmer 10 minutes, add cheese and seasoning.

~ Recipe submitted by Ahuva

Directions:
Grill chicken on george forman grill and set aside. Cook up pasta according to directions on box. As pasta is cooking mix the margarine and oil in a pot and melt together, add the garlic stirring occasionally until tender but do not brown. Add the chicken broth to the pot and reduce let cook till reduced by half. Once reduced add the tomato sauce and the whip and mix. Season with parsley and basil. When pasta is done cooking add to sauce and cup chicken to strips and serve over pasta.

~ Recipe submitted by Deana Blumenthal

Hi again! You may remember us Kosher Foodies from our Pad Thai recipe a few of months ago. Today we’d like to share something a bit more seasonal with you, winter squash penne. It’s no coincidence that sage and butternut squash were included in the same CSA pickup; the two flavors work wonderfully together! We decided to incorporate them into a filling main course that’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but delicious enough to serve at a special occasion, say, a vegetarian Thanksgiving?

This recipe is kosher and vegan, although we did consider adding some cheese in at the end – some creamy ricotta mixed in or some parmesan sprinkled on top would work nicely. We chose shallots, because we had a lot and love the sweeter oniony flavor they add to the pasta. You can use onions if it’s easier, though. Butternut squash is our favorite winter squash variety, but any will work, and you can splurge at the supermarket and buy them pre-cut to make this recipe come together even more quickly, since the bulk of this recipe preparation is taken up by peeling and chopping the squash.

This recipe serves 4

To view the recipe click here ->

Ingredients:
1 pound of penne
2 shallots
1 butternut squash
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
1/4 teaspoon all spice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8-10 fresh sage leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Direction:
Cook the pasta according to directions. drain and transfer to a serving bowl, tossing with a bit of olive oil.
Meanwhile, dice the shallots and cut the butternut squash into small cubes.
Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-low heat and cook the shallots until they soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add the butternut squash, mix well and season with salt, pepper and the all spice.
Add the stock, cover and lower the heat. Let cook for 10 minutes or until the squash softens. Don’t mix, or you’ll smash the squash. 
Meanwhile, roll up the sage and cut it into strips.
Turn off the fire, add vinegar and sage and season if necessary.
Pour squash mixture over the pasta and mix carefully. Serve.

~ Recipe submitted by Stephanie and Jessica of “The Kosher Foodies”