Sunday, February 15, 2015

Pasta Fagioli

This is one of my favorite foods but very rarely do I find a restaurant where I really like it. My secret in this one is red pepper flakes to make the soup a little spicy. It’s perfect on a cold winter day (like this week where it has been negative degrees here in NJ). I seriously think I could live off it and it doesn’t hurt that this soup can be ready in about 30 minutes.



What You’ll Need
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 slices pancetta, chopped
  • 1 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 carrot (chopped)
  • 1 rib celery (chopped)
  • 2 gloves of garlic (chopped)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
  • 1 large tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 quarter chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cups ditalini pasta
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (can you less if you would like)
  • Grated parmigiano for topping


What to do:

In a large pot over medium heat oil and add in pancetta (cook until brown) then add in rosemary, bay leaf, chopped vegs and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. 



Add beans, tomato sauce, water and stock to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil and add in pasta. Cook the coup 6 to 8 minutes until the pasta is cooked. 

Remove the bay leaf and add in red pepper flakes. Let the soup cool for a few minutes and ladle soup into bowls topping with grated cheese. 


Don’t forget the crusty bread for mopping up the soup! 

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Buffalo Chicken Dip

(This blog post is decided to my buffalo chicken loving husband)



When it’s super bowl time that means a few things, one of them being buffalo chicken dip or BCD! This recipe is so easy to make. I’ve made it so many times I just know what it should look like by now I don’t even measure out the ingredients any more. The traditional way to serve this dip would be with chips but I love it with pita bread!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  •  8oz packages of cream  cheese (softened)
  • ¾ cup of franks hot sauce
  • ½ cup of ranch dressing
  • 2 ½ cups of shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mild cheddar cheese



What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix together cream cheese, hot sauce and ranch dressing. Add in shredded chicken and 1 cup of cheese ( no need to over mix). Place in a large baking dish and top with last ½ cup of shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes then turn on the broiler and bake for 5 minutes (until cheese is golden brown). As a side note, I love the broiler but you need to keep your eye on what you are cooking when using it things brown in just minutes! 

Serve it up with your favorite chips or pita bread and enjoy!