Creamy Pumpkin Apple Pasta

Ever wonder what the heck you're going to make for Thanksgiving?! Maybe you're not hosting the whole shibang, but you've been asked to bring a side dish. 

With lots of fun holiday parties coming up, I've shared a perfect Thanksgiving side (or fall inspired dinner!) on My Cooking Spot this morning! Find the recipe here and make sure to check back in on My Cooking Spot for more Thanksgiving inspired recipes this week! 

BLT Orecchiette Pasta

Bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Such a classic all-American sandwich staple. To be honest I never really got into this sandwich. Anyone else out there just hunger for something more in a sandwich? It always felt a little lacking to me. But then I had a brilliant thought to create something similar in pasta form! This dish is so simple to make, and delicious! The orecchiette pasta is shaped like little cups, which scoop up the melty and flavorful ingredients perfectly. Each bite is packed with flavor. 

Aren't these colors gorgeous? It's my absolute favorite to cook with beautiful colors! It's truly an art form for me. 

We served ours with some chopped hearts of romaine and a quick homemade Caesar dressing. Simple, simple simple. Go for it and love dinner time this week. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

4 slices of bacon

1 large red onion, sliced thinly

1 cup (or one small package) of baby tomatoes

two heaping cups of arugula 

1 (15 ounce) can full fat coconut milk

1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound orecchiette pasta

Heat up a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add four slices of bacon and allow to sizzle on both sides until crispy. Remove and let rest on a paper towel to absorb excess grease.

Lower the heat on the same pan, adding onions and letting them caramelize slowly. I like to add a bit of salt and pepper to aid this process. When the onions start to become translucent and soft, add tomatoes. Cover the pan with a lid and allow everything to steam over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add arugula and return lid to the pan, letting the arugula wilt. 

When the tomatoes start to break open on their own, you're ready for the next step. Shake the coconut milk before opening the can, then pour into the pan along with the juice from one lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. The coconut milk will bubble and reduce into a creamy sauce. While this is simmering, chop bacon into tiny pieces and throw into the pan. 

Heat a large pot full of water and bring to a boil. Season liberally with salt and add pasta. Cook according to package time instructions. Drain pasta and combine pasta and vegetables in the large pot, along with the fresh garlic, stirring to combine all the flavors. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Dad's Spaghetti Sauce + Kitchen Essentials Giveaway!

If you're just stopping by, it's Italy week at Gather Around Our Table and I'm sharing some of my favorite Italian recipes with you! Let me tell you, we had this meal for dinner a couple of nights ago and my mouth is watering just re-typing the recipe. 

A couple weeks ago a friend sent me a text with a request that I post a spaghetti sauce recipe on the blog. I haven't really attempted my own, and to be quite honest I have no reason to. 

At my dad's 80th birthday party (yup, you read that right) all his sweet friends and family stood up and read letters to him recounting all the fun they had through the years over a few beers and most importantly surrounding my dad's cooking. I can't stress enough how sought after this man is for his cooking! Requests come in from all over the country for this guy's corned beef and cabbage, baked ravioli, and of course this famous spaghetti sauce. 

You guys, the recipe's not even hard. If we were really living in Italy, maybe he would have grown his own tomatoes and canned them all then made a fresh pot of sauce. But we don't, so I'll let you in on a little secret, he cheats with the canned stuff...gasp... And it's freaking delicious. 

I wouldn't lie to you. The old man has paid good money to ship this sauce all frozen up in packages to family across the country. It's crazy talk. Okay, here's the recipe before you faint in anticipation. 

This recipe makes a huge batch, enough to serve 12, so invite your entire family like a good Italian or just freeze the rest for future meals. It makes a great go-to dinner in a pinch.

Ingredients:

Olive oil 

1 medium white onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

Small box of sliced mushrooms

1 pound  ground beef

1 pound mild italian pork sausage 

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 (28 ounce) can tomato purée 

1 (15 ounce) can diced whole tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 bottle of Chianti wine (Ruffino is a good brand)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sugar

Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot, set to medium low heat. Add onion, garlic and sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft.

Add ground beef to the same pot, breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Remove pork sausage from the casing and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add chili powder, stirring to combine with everything, and continue to cook until browned.  

Pour in tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.

Take 1/4 of a bottle of good Chianti wine and use it to wash out the remaining tomato purée from the can. Add to the mix.

If using fresh herbs, rinse and dry them, remove the leaves from stems and chop them up finely. Add to the sauce. If you are using dried herbs, rub between your hands to bring out the flavors of the spices before placing in the sauce.

Add the sugar and salt and pepper to taste, and bring heat to a medium simmer. Check to make sure the heat is not too high so the sauce wont scorch. Continue simmering for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Check for taste and add seasonings as desired. 

We served ours over a bed of spaghetti squash, but this sauce is delicious over your favorite pasta, in a baked lasagna dish, with ravioli and sopped up by warm french bread. 

Giveaway time! I'm a brand new contributor for My Cooking Spot, along with some other amazing women. We all got together and wanted to share our love for cooking by giving away a 51-piece Kitchen Gadget Set! 

I am so honored and excited to be sharing recipes with them each month. Hop on over to MCS for my twist on teriyaki chicken legs and don't forget to enter below for these kitchen essentials. 

Below are the contributors who helped put this giveaway together. Check out their inspiring blogs and see all the amazing recipes these ladies have to share.

Contributors - Clockwise

Jana: Life Could Be a Dream Blog - Rachel: Oh Simple Thoughts - Marcella: Marcella Roses

Erin: My Cooking Spot - Natasha: Gather Around Our Table - Madison: Wetherill Say I Do

Jen: Jen's Favorite Cookies - Nathalia: Creatively Conscious - Meme: Meme Inge - Erin: The Speckled Palate

a Rafflecopter giveaway