Dinner Tonight - Pasta Nests

As promised I made an dish from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. Tomato-Basil Pasta Nests. It was a meatless dish which I am going to try to make a Monday habit. Very easy to put together and I actually had the entire meal done and on the table in under 30 minutes. It generally takes me longer than Rachael's 30 minutes to get one of her meals done (maybe it is because I am not as "perky" as she is). Also, Rachael says this serves 4. The hell you say Rachael. Who are these 4 people? Professional football players? This made more than enough for 6-8 people. How could she possibly eat servings as large as her typical servings are and remain so skinny? Again, it must be the perkiness.

I used a new to me pasta, Barilla Plus. It has more protein and fiber, made from whole grains, and less fat than regular pasta. It had a slightly nutty flavor which was not unpleasant at all. Zac never knew the difference. Anyway, the meal was well recieved by all and the "nests" were a novelty. Served with a simple tossed salad from a bag (they were buy one get one free, and I cannot pass up a bargain).

I made a dessert tonight which I don't often do. This came from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Fudgy Chocolate Brownies. Very rich and ohhh so fudgy. Mine actually looked very similar to Martha's in the book which is a rare occurance for me. Zac is always wanting a dessert but none of us need sweets too often. Unfortunantly, he fell asleep before I cut them. His first day back at school after break must have wore him out.

On tap for tomorrow is another recipe from Racheal's book. Drop in to see what's cooking. Until then, enjoy the recipes.

Recipes

Tomato-Basil Pasta Nests
adapted from 365: No Repeats by Rachael Ray

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook