As I was preparing this meal today, the same question that I’ve pondered many times, came back to me. Why do we serve (garlic) bread with a pasta meal? It makes no sense! Pasta and bread are both starches so why do we eat them together?
After a lot of research on this subject, I now think I have the answer. When the first wave of Italian immigrants arrived in America from Southern Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they couldn’t get good quality olive oil, the right produce or arborio rice, but were instead able to afford ample quantities of cheese and meat. They pioneered a culture of ‘abbondanza’ (meaning in abundance), building on traditional recipes and creating new ones; always sure to use as much of a good ingredient as possible. The result … a hearty, delicious cuisine that has never seen the light of day in the land that inspired it. ‘Italian garlic bread’, as found in North American restaurants and grocery stores, does not exist in real Italian cuisine. It is an Italian-American creation that nobody in Italy would recognize.
Ok, so now I have the answer and you’ve probably noticed, I made Garlic Knots to go with our pasta!
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Veggie Shrimp Pasta w/ Garlic Knots
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Veggie Shrimp Pasta
- 2 cups (190 gm) dry pasta such as penne or bows
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 1 zucchini, julienned
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme, oregano, garlic & onion powder & pepper
- 300 gm Wild, large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 284 ml cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 60 gm shredded, Parmesan cheese, DIVIDED
Ingredients
Veggie Shrimp Pasta
- 2 cups (190 gm) dry pasta such as penne or bows
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 1 zucchini, julienned
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 8 large mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme, oregano, garlic & onion powder & pepper
- 300 gm Wild, large raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 284 ml cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 60 gm shredded, Parmesan cheese, DIVIDED
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Garlic Knots
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt; whisk well. Add yogurt, mixing with a fork until incorporated. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough about 15 times. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces & roll into strips about 9-inches long. Tie each strip into a 'knot-like' ball; place on baking sheet. Bake about 18 minutes or until golden then allow to cool 5 minutes.
In a saucepan, melt butter, add garlic & cook until golden about 2 minutes. Brush the knots with the garlic butter & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Veggie Shrimp Pasta
In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until tender but firm; drain & set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, peppers & mushrooms; cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, spices & shrimp; stirring for another 3 minutes or until shrimp is opaque.
In pasta pot, place soup & milk; when hot add half of the Parmesan cheese, pasta & shrimp/veg mixture. If necessary, cook a few more minutes just to make sure everything is hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese before serving.
No barbecue is complete without adding a few salads. More than just greens topped with a dressing, there are many versions of coleslaw and pasta salads as well as vegetable and gelatin salads. Without a doubt, you can make them as simple or fancy as you like or have the time for.
Every family seems to develop its own salad favorites. For our family, it was my mother’s ‘German’ version of potato salad. This was not the ‘Hot German Potato Salad’ which you most often see in recipe books. Her’s was a very basic potato salad, not a lot of ingredients, but the dressing was what made it special to us. Like so many German recipes it had that sweet-sour taste.
Over the years, either in the commercial food industry or at company barbecues, etc. I have used and shared her recipe many times. It has never failed to draw great reviews but strangely enough I think my husband is the only person I’ve known who didn’t care for potato salad in any fashion.
There are endless ideas for barbecue salads. In today’s blog I thought it would be nice to post a medley of five different kinds. I think you will find they are reasonably quick and easy to prepare as well as good accompaniments to most any meat being barbecued.
Potato Salad – Chick Pea Pasta Salad – Candied Nut & Gorgonzola Salad Barley, Corn & Pepper Salad – Fresh Spinach & Vegetable Salad
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Barbecue Salads x Five
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Chick Pea Pasta Salad
- 150 grams wholewheat Penne pasta, uncooked
- 426 ml chick peas, rinsed & drained
- 426 ml black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1/2 cup black olives, whole, pitted
- 1/3 cup carrot, finely diced
- 1/3 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 57 grams Asiago cheese, 1/4" cubes
- Mixed or Spinach greens
- FIG BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING, bottled
Candied Nut & Gorgonzola Salad
Barley, Corn & Pepper Salad
Fresh Spinach & Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
Chick Pea Pasta Salad
- 150 grams wholewheat Penne pasta, uncooked
- 426 ml chick peas, rinsed & drained
- 426 ml black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1/2 cup black olives, whole, pitted
- 1/3 cup carrot, finely diced
- 1/3 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 57 grams Asiago cheese, 1/4" cubes
- Mixed or Spinach greens
- FIG BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING, bottled
Candied Nut & Gorgonzola Salad
Barley, Corn & Pepper Salad
Fresh Spinach & Vegetable Salad
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
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Instructions
Potato Salad
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Cook potatoes in salted water. Cool, peel & cube. Combine potatoes, eggs, & onion. Blend together dressing ingredients & pour over potato mixture; mix well. Cover & refrigerate for several hours. Just before serving time, add sliced radishes & more salt if necessary. Mix well.
Chick Pea Pasta Salad
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Cook pasta according to pkg. directions. Drain & rinse under cold running water until cold. Combine pasta with next 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat evenly. Cover & refrigerate for several hours. Arrange greens on serving plate & top with chick pea mixture or mix greens into salad, your choice.
Candied Nut & Gorgonzola Salad
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In a skillet over medium heat, melt sugar stirring constantly. Add nuts, stir until nuts are coated. Remove nuts from skillet; spreading them out on a sheet of aluminium foil to cool. In a large bowl, combine greens, dried fruit & Gorgonzola cheese; refrigerate. At serving time, combine salad with dressing, toss gently; add candied nuts & toss again.
Barley, Corn & Pepper Salad
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Cook barley to desired tenderness. Drain; rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients; toss well. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour dressing over salad; toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Fresh Spinach & Vegetable Salad
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Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. At serving time, drizzle with dressing choice & top with toasted seeds.
Recipe Notes
- If you like raw cauliflower, try adding a cup of it sliced along with some crisp, crumbled bacon bits to your potato salad. It adds a whole new dimension to an old favorite.
