Creamy Bowtie Pasta with Peas and Arugula

I love the convenience of one-dish meals.  There's so much less to clean up afterwards!  This is a favorite option of mine.  We love pasta at our house, but we usually have a salad or vegetable side dish with it.  This pasta is great because the salad is right on top!  I love to add TONS of crispy arugula on my pasta because the flavor is great and I eat less overall pasta.  If your little ones don't like the taste of arugula, you can easily leave it out.  My girls do, so I just tear the leaves into small pieces for them.  

Ingredients

16 oz farfalle pasta

16 oz frozen peas

2 C heavy cream

1 1/2 C Imagine No-Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)

1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

5 oz baby arugula

Directions

1. In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Add the frozen peas 1 minute before the end of cooking.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, combine the cream and broth in a large skillet.  Over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, stirring often.  This may take 15-20 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan until melted. 
3. Add the pasta and peas into the skillet and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, place the hot pasta on a plate or bowl, top with pine nuts and arugula.  

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Pot Pie Pizza

OK.  This may be the coolest thing ever.  If you haven't guessed, I love pizza.  It is, hands down, my favorite food.  I love that you can make so many different variations, and as a vegetarian, one of the foods I miss is chicken pot pie.  It has such great flavors and is just so comforting.  Now, I have found a way to enjoy that same experience in a PIZZA!!  This was so much fun!

If you wanted to make it super simple, you could use a bag of frozen mixed veggies, but since my local organic farm had all but the peas available, I decided to use their fresh veggies.  I prepped them and steamed them to make my own veggie medley for this pizza and it was really easy - and don't they look beautiful?  :)  And what a great way to get kids to eat more veggies!

Instead of pizza sauce, you make a simple broth thickened with a basic roux.  If you are not a vegetarian, feel free to use chicken broth, but if you are a vegetarian I would really suggest using Imagine No Chicken Broth.  Vegetable broth would work, but the No Chicken broth takes it to the next level.  It truly tastes like chicken pot pie!!  I thought about adding cooked and shredded Gardein chicken, but opted against it this time.  Next time I think I will give it a try.  It's so good, it might be a part of my next vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner!  :)

Ingredients (makes 1 pizza)

3/4 C finely chopped carrots
3/4 C peas
1/2 C green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/2 inch lengths
1/2 cob of corn, kernels removed
1 pizza crust
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
2/3 C Imagine No-Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 oz shredded mozzarella
1/3 C freshly grated parmesan

Directions

1. Using a steamer, steam the green beans for about 1 min, then add the carrots and peas and steam until crisp tender (about 5 mins).
2. Set aside to cool and add the corn kernels to the veggie mixture.
3. Heat the oven to 475 degrees with the pizza stone inside.
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add the broth and whisk constantly for 2 minutes until it thickens and begins to bubble.  Whisk in thyme, sage, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Prepare the pizza crust.  Spread the sauce evenly over the crust leaving a 1 inch border.  Top with mozzarella.  Layer the mixed vegetables evenly over the pizza.  Sprinkle with parmesan.
6. Bake until crust is golden and cheese just starts to brown (about 15 minutes).  Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!!

Adapted from - Family Fun September 2012