As Wine LOVers Club members who receive our wines every month, you are of course very special. There are some months when your elite group will be the only people who receive a shipment of our wine so I am excited to write a Page just for you. The topics will vary but you can be assured they will focus on food and wine. Here is my first such page!
I don’t know about you but I am always looking for those “fast and fabulous” meals that can be prepared relatively quickly but look and taste like you spent hours. On my days off I always have the best intentions to make a special meal for my husband but somehow the time flies by and I don’t have the time I thought I would. So…. when I find a recipe like the one below I am tickled pink! He loved it and I hope you will too!
COOKING WITH LOV
FAST AND FABULOUS!
Pasta Alfredo With Ham
1 pound pasta (rotini or shells) 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup bottled Alfredo sauce
1 large onion ˝ cup skim or low-fat milk
1/3 pound deli ham, thinly sliced 1 cup frozen green peas
Place pasta in 3 quarts of already boiling unsalted water and cook until tender, 9 to 11 minutes. When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in an extra-deep 12 inch nonstick skillet. Peel and coarsely chop the onion adding it to the skillet as you chop. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring from time to time, until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the ham and set it aside. Add the garlic to the skillet and stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add the Alfredo sauce and milk to the skillet. Stir until the sauce is well blended. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and reserved chopped ham. Raise the heat to high, cook until the sauce returns to a boil, and then lower the heat back to medium-high. Cook until the peas and ham are heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place half of the cooked, drained pasta in the skillet. Stir until the pasta is coated with sauce. Serve immediately.
Nancy’s
extra notes: Our choice for wine this night was the Los
Olivos Vintners Merlot. Also, as a
time saver, use half of the pasta with this dish and refrigerate or freeze the
other half for future use. Just rinse
the leftover pasta under cool tap water and toss with 1 teaspoon of vegetable
oil to keep it from sticking together.
Then freeze or refrigerate in a freezer-weight bag with a zipper
top. It takes only 7 minutes to heat
the frozen pasta on high in the microwave.