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Creamy Pasta with Butternut Squash and Mascarpone Cheese

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A delicious combination of sweet butternut squash, creamy mascarpone cheese, crispy crumbled bacon, and sage infused butter sauce,  makes this pasta worth a try! This pasta has it all: a balanced, nutrient-rich dish that will make you feel happy and satisfied. It has sweet and nutty butternut squash, which is a great source of vitamin C, fibers, magnesium and potassium. It has all the calcium and proteins that you need, from the mascarpone and the parmesan cheese. And the carbs and fibers form the pasta. And then, there is bacon. Sinfully crispy bacon. You can always make this pasta without it. But, what can I say? Dinner should not only be wholesome and balanced, but also fun and tempting. And bacon is an amazing addition to the taste.  The sweet and rich flavors of the squash and cheese is really only complete with the crunchy and smoky  aroma of the bacon. And note, this recipe is fast and quite easy. A bowl of this pasta will leave you full and happy, so make sure to ...

Baked Spring Rolls

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I have always fried spring rolls and have not tried baking them until today. I don't know why I always felt they would not be crispy enough. But this time they were as good as fried ones and my husband could not tell that they were baked  until I told him which kind of left him confused. They were not only crisp and crunchy but also not oily. I smeared them with olive oil and they turned out great. I can eat them without feeling guilty as they are healthy.    Ingredients:  For 12 Spring Rolls 24 Spring Roll Wrappers 1/2 Cup Shredded Chicken (1/2 Chicken breast) 1/2 Tsp Garlic paste 2 Cups Japanese style flat white Cabbage (finely grated) 1/4 Cup Carrot (thinly grated)  2 Tbs finely chopped spring onions 1 Boiled egg 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper  1/2 Tsp Hoisin Sauce 2 or 3 drops of Sesame oil 2 Tbs Olive oil Flour and water paste Sea Salt as required Method: 1. Steam the chicken breast in a covered pot with a little water, garlic paste, salt and pepper till complet...

Pasta Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Sun Dried Tomatoes

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A fresh and healthy pasta salad with grilled eggplants, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella  An irresistible combination of Mediterranean flavors!  A hot weekend is coming up here in Los Angeles. I can't wait to jump in the warm ocean water and relax on the sand. And if, like me, you are planning to spend your Sunday at the beach or somewhere else fun, here is a great picnic lunch idea. This pasta salad is very simple to make. It's vegetarian, healthy, fresh and very tasty. You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. And then you just bring it along to the beach or park in your cooler. I generally prefer eating this salad at room temperature (not cold from the refrigerator and not hot from the stove). I chose farfalle pasta this time, but you can really use any shape of short pasta. I would really not recommend spaghetti for a pasta salad. Here is the recipe for you. And have an amazing weekend Ingredients , serving 4 people:       ...

Pasta with Artichokes and Pancetta

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In this pasta, the sweet taste of the artichokes combines with the sharp flavor of the Parmesan cheese, and the spicy aroma of the pancetta Today I want to show you how to prepare this pasta with artichokes and pancetta. This is one of my favorite recipes: easy and tasty, and as usual, ready in no more than 30 minutes. As you probably have noticed, I like to buy and use fresh vegetables in my recipes. Artichoke though is one exception. Cleaning fresh artichokes is quite an elaborate job. It involves peeling off leaves, trimming stems and, I know!!, removing "hair". And after all the hard work, what I find most annoying is ending up with a tiny artichoke heart, as small as a walnut, when I started off with a big, fist-sized artichoke! All reasons why, I generally opt to buy frozen artichoke hearts. They are tender and juicy, and ready to use! In this pasta, you will find the sweet taste of the artichokes, together with the sharp and nutty flavor of the Parmesan cheese, and the...

Healthy Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies

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Healthy, quick and delicious pasta salad with colorful grilled peppers, savory grilled zucchini and fresh  mozzarella. I say, it's time for a savory and healthy recharge today!  I realized I've been posting lots of sweet recipes recently, and not enough wholesome dinner ideas.  And I do claim mine is a blog about Italian food. So for a minute, let's not think about chocolate covered  almond cookies or moist and buttery cakes exploding with fresh berries. And let's dive, headfirst, in this healthy and scrumptious vegetarian pasta.  It's super easy and quick (ready in no more than 30 minutes) and it can be prepared ahead of time. I'm sure you are going to love it as much as I do! I prepare this pasta salad on the regular.  It makes an easy, everyday dinner or a super fun dish for my weekend picnics at the beach. And if I have leftovers, even better! I pack it in my children's lunch boxes the next day. This pasta salad is ready in a breeze. All you need to do ...