20 Minute Tomato and Basil Angel Hair Pasta Recipe [+ Video]

This 20 minute cherry tomato and basil angel hair pasta recipe comes together in a jiffy, and will satisfy the whole family, even the kids!

Every time the holidays are over and new year rolls around, I’m immediately drawn to a simpler way of cooking – lighter, healthier meals, fresh ingredients, less ingredients, and just an all around relaxed attitude. I don’t like anything too fussy or involved, and this 20 Minute Cherry Tomato and Basil Angel Hair pasta is the perfect example of what you might find on our dinner table this month.

Cooking Class in Italy

I’ve made a variation of this sauce for years – ever since I studied abroad in Italy. On the back end of my trip, my family came over, and my Mom and I took a cooking class for four days on the Amalfi coast in a little town called Positano. We learned the basics of Italian cooking – how to make the best margarita pizza with only the freshest ingredients, how to make pasta dough with our bare hands, and how to make a killer tomato sauce using only cherry tomatoes, olive oil and garlic.

I can still remember closing my eyes while I ate, and wondering if I’d ever taste something as delicious as that sauce back at home – or if I’d even come close to being able replicate it myself.

Less Than 30 Minute Dinner Recipe

Since then, I’ve made a bazillion different variations, all equally as delicious as they were in Italy. I’ve used it as a topping on fish or grilled chicken, slathered it on garlic-rubbed crostinis and tossed it with scrambled eggs, but I think today’s version may be my favorite adaptation yet. Not only because it’s simple and delicious, but because the cooking time from start to finish is less than 30 minutes – pure gold in my book.

Ingredients for Tomato Basil Angel Hair Pasta

You will only need 8 simple ingredients to make this easy angel hair pasta recipe! A whole meal with just 8 ingredients in less than a half hour…you can’t get much better than that! Here is what you will need:

• Angel Hair Pasta: it cooks up quickly and soaks up the flavor of the tomatoes and garlic
• Olive Oil: used to sauté the tomatoes and garlic, extra virgin olive oil is preferred for best flavor
• Garlic: adds bold delicious flavor
• Cherry Tomatoes: or grape tomatoes
• Fresh Basil: adds bright fresh flavor, if you don’t have fresh basil, use 2 teaspoons of dried basil
• Salt: adds flavor
• Granulated Parmesan: adds depth of flavor
• Lemon: a pop of citrus rounds out the dish perfectly

All the measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Cherry Tomato and Basil Angel Hair Pasta

You will want to start by cooking the angel hair pasta. Get a large pot of salted water going on the stove top until the water is boiling. Add the p

Cream of Mushroom Pasta +Video

Creamy mushroom pasta starts with buttery caramelized sauteed mushrooms and ends with that deep rich umami flavor in your mouth. It’s literally love at first bite! But it hasn’t always been that way…

As a little kid in church I learned the sweetest song, “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus”. Sometimes even now it goes floating through my mind with the simple reminder to be like Him. But lately a new version has taken over, “I’m trying to like those mushrooms….” It’s a bit of a journey for me.

Picky eaters will understand, it’s a texture thing. But truly, I’ve come a long way and this pasta is a bit of a nod to the delicious flavor a well caramelized mushroom can bring to a pasta, elevating it from simplistic to romantic.

How to Make Cream of Mushroom Pasta Video

We are going to share all the tips for making mushrooms the star of the show and not the rubbery, squeaky undesirables that they can be if they are cooked incorrectly.

Ingredients for Creamy Mushroom Pasta

I am going to include a brief description of the ingredients you will need. This is meant to be just an overview. You can find all the measurements and details in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Mixed Mushrooms: cremini, shiitake, chanterelle and oyster or any combination
• Olive Oil and Butter: the combination of the two caramelizes the mushrooms perfectly
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor and enhances all the other ingredients
• Nutmeg: this might seem strange, but trust me, it adds the best little flavor to the mushrooms
• Pepper: adds flavor and a little heat
• White Wine: adds richness and depth of flavor
• Bucatini Pasta: you can use spaghetti, but I love the thicker noodle for this recipe
• Heavy Cream: creates the creamy sauce
• Lemon: cuts through all the heaviness and adds a bright pop of fresh flavor
• Pecorino Romano: you can use parmesan cheese instead if you can’t find it
• Pasta Water: helps thicken the sauce
• Fresh Parsley: adds a freshness to the dish

Which Mushrooms are Best for Pasta?

I love to use a variety of mushr

Skillet Italian Sausage and Peppers Penne [+ Video]

This skillet Italian sausage and peppers with whole-wheat penne is the perfect home cooked meal and it’s all in one pot which makes clean up a breeze!

This dish is a family favorite for us! And it’s weird to say that because I have picky eaters (they are SO much better than they used to be), and usually peppers and onions aren’t on the “yes list” for picky eaters, but in this recipe, they just work! The flavor is bold, and everyone loves sausage and pasta!

When I need to get dinner on the table quickly, this is one of my go-to recipes. All you need is one pan and 30 minutes!

What Do I Need to Make Sausage and Peppers Penne?

Most of the ingredients in this dish are pantry staples, so all you will need at the grocery store are some sausage links, a couple of peppers and an onion. Here is a list of what you will need:

• Whole-wheat Penne Pasta – you can find this right by all the other pasta at the grocery store
• Italian Sausage – I generally go with mild uncooked sausage, but you could use spicy sausage or a sweet sausage depending on what you are craving
• Green Pepper – remove the stem and seeds and slice into thin slices
• Red Pepper – remove the stem and seeds and slice into thin slices, red peppers are a little sweeter than green peppers so they add another dimension of flavor
• Yellow Onion – use a sharp knife to slice the onion in the thin slices
• Red Wine (cooking wine) – we don’t drink alcohol so we cook with cooking wine, but feel free to use whichever you prefer
• Tomato Paste – a 6oz can, any brand works, just choose your favorite
• Tomato Sauce – an 8oz can, any brand works, just choose your favorite
• Water – thins out the sauce a little
• Italian Seasoning – a dried seasoning blend that you can buy at the grocery store that usually includes dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme and dried marjoram
• Sugar – enhances the flavors
• Salt – adds flavor
• Parmesan Cheese – great for a garnish to add an extra punch of flavor

The measurements for every ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. The detailed instructions for how to make this recipe are also in the recipe card.

Reasons You Will Love This Italian Sausage Recipe

Here are a few reasons that you are going to love this recipe:

1. Easy: The ingredients are simple and easy to find. The recipe is made in one pot so cleanup is easy. The only techniques you need to know are slicing, sauteing and simmering. Nothing fancy here!
2. Quick: I live for dinner recipes that come together in less than a half hour!
3. Flavor: By sauteing the sausage in the pan first, it flavors the whole dish. The peppers and onions get flavored by the sausage and add their own flavors and then the tomato pasta and sauce with the Italian seasoning and red wine add all the flavor you need.
4. Well rounded: This dish includes veggies, protein and carbs all in one pa

Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Orzo

Easy orzo pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes and fresh basil is just what I crave on a hot summer night. In the summer, I’m all about the quick and easy meals that are light and refreshing.

When Cade and I first started the blog I was whisked off on a fun little business trip where we got to try small servings of an entire menu. During the tasting a roasted garlic pasta was served to us with huge whole garlic cloves that were heavily fragrant.

I carefully ate around them only to notice my seat mate was enjoying the entire dish, full cloves of garlic and all. “Do people really eat garlic?” I thought. I mean, I knew it went in dishes but to be an actual component felt odd.

I sliced a chunk off of a clove, swirled and twisted my noodles up around it and the fork and I’ve been sold ever since. The sweetness of the garlic comes out in the roasting time and no, it doesn’t remove the smell off your breath, but it’s worth it!!

Ingredients in this Orzo Recipe

This orzo recipe may give you garlic breath, but we are going to add a few more flavor to it! Here is what you will need:

• Cherry Tomatoes: black cherry, piccolo or Vittoria varieties are our favorites
• Olive Oil: for roasting the tomatoes and cooking the garlic
• Salt and Pepper: for seasoning the roasted tomatoes and for seasoning the whole dish
• Garlic: flavor, flavor, flavor
• Butter: helps pan roast the orzo and adds loads of flavor
• Orzo: sauteing the pasta beforehand adds a delicious nutty flavor
• Lemon Juice: fresh is best
• White Wine: we use cooking wine, but feel free to use whatever brand you want
• Chicken Stock: could easily swap this out for vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian
• Water: helps cook the orzo
• Basil Leaves: I highly suggest using fresh basil only.
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated parm on top is the best
• Red Pepper Flakes: adds heat, add as much as you want!
• Pine Nuts: adds texture and flavor

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Orzo

This recipe comes together so easily and most of the time is spent waiting for the tomatoes to roast and the orzo to cook. Here are the basic steps:

1. Roast the tomatoes.
2. Pan roast the garlic and then the orzo.
3. Let the orzo simmer in all the flavors.
4. Add the liquids to cook the pasta.
5. Season to taste and top with the pine nuts, basil and parmesan.

All the details can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. You can also save or print the recipe from there.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

We have so many recipes that use garlic, tomatoes and basil. It is a classic combination of simple flavors that you can just never go wrong wi

This Spinach Orzo Salad is filled with cranberries, creamy goat cheese, tender pasta, and plenty of fresh spinach tossed in a tangy sweet dressing. The salad can be served immediately or kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days – making this an awesome make-ahead meal for lunch or dinner.

Spinach Salad with Cranberries

The recipe was inspired by the Cranberry Orzo Salad that Princess Cruises serves in their International Cafe. It’s just so good! Tender pasta in a sweetly tangy dressing, with tart fresh cranberries and sliced almonds. Simple, fresh, and delicious.

I’ve included more cruise details at the bottom of the post here for anyone who is interested. As soon as I got home from our cruise through the British Isles, I immediately recreated the salad for my family.

As always, I loved the salad, but my guys? The kids decided that the fresh cranberries were too tart. (Crazy kids!)

So, the next time I made the salad, I went with dried cranberries and it was a win across the board. I like this salad every bit as much with dried cranberries as I do with fresh cranberries – and that’s an even bigger win, since fresh cranberries aren’t available more than a few weeks a year.

(And unless you’re lucky enough to have cranberries stashed in the freezer for this cake, you’ll be stuck waiting until the holidays to try this awesome salad.)

Spinach Orzo Salad

I took our salad to the next level by adding a generous portion of fresh baby spinach and warm chicken. Both the chicken and the spinach made it a heartier meal for my family.

And as far as my guys are concer