Recipes for a trio of colorful, quickly made pasta dishes could be a boon for the cook to grab during the holiday season, as options for Christmas or party buffets, or even to use up some day-after ingredients, such as cooked turkey.
These recipes are from Mark Prece, Kansas City-based corporate executive chef for Mueller’s and Golden Grain Pasta. He says they are traditional family favorites, dishes he grew up with.
“My dad was a chef, and he cooked a lot for us all during the holidays,” Prece said. “We always had pasta around. And now I cook for my boys.” There’s always a big crowd of family at his home, too, he added “especially when they know I’m cooking.”
All these dishes can be prepared in 30 minutes. The bright dish of bow-ties with Asiago cheese and spinach will give the table a festive air with seasonal red and green. The recipe for turkey with dried cranberries and whole-wheat penne is a wholesome way to transform leftover Christmas turkey, and Waldorf salad gets an extra layer of texture with pasta, as a refresher among the richer dishes.
Holiday Bow-Ties With Asiago Cheese and Spinach
(Start to finish 30 minutes)
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand for 25 minutes. Cook pasta while sun-dried tomatoes are standing in boiling water. Drain and chop tomatoes. Combine tomatoes, oil, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Add hot pasta and spinach; toss gently (spinach will wilt). Sprinkle with cheeses, toss gently, and serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 servings, as first course or side dish.
(Recipes from chef Mark Prece, courtesy Mueller’s and Golden Grain Pasta)
