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Giada's Round and Round Pasta


Giada's Round and Round Pasta

It's time for IHCC's Mystery Box Madness Challenge again! Woohoo!

Modus operandi is the same: we can choose a dish from Diana Henry or any previous ten IHCC chefs. This time round, the chosen dish must contain at least three of these mystery ingredients: cabbage, mustard, yogurt, freekeh/bulgur wheat, za'atar, tomatoes, sausage (any kind), carrots, basil (fresh, dry, any kind) and almonds.

Hmmm... Mediterranean! Greek? Wait, what on earth is za'atar? I found the answer from Joyce (Kitchen Flavours) who cooked a fantastic chicken recipe with za'atar! Za'atar is a kind of Middle Eastern seasoning. Interesting!

As for myself, after almost a month of pondering, I choose Giada's Round and Round Pasta. Yeah yeah yeah, I know... Giada again. Yes, I love her dishes! Love is an understatement. LOL! So far, I've cooked two of her fabulous recipes: Hearty Meatball Stew, Pasta e Fagioli.

So, here are the three mystery ingredients found in my pasta: tomatoes, chicken sausage, carrots. I add fresh sweet basil too (so that makes four mystery ingredients)!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2-3)

Note: This dish is called round and round pasta because everything in it is round.

1 cup rotelle pasta (I can't find rotelle, so I used elbow and mini shell pasta)
2 generous tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into rings
1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 cup water
1 cup cherry tomatoes
A handful of fresh sweet basil, chopped
4 chicken sausages, cooked, cooled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Salt and pepper

How to:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place the pasta in a large bowl.

2. Heat up olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and cook until the carrots begin to soften. Add water and cherry tomatoes. Cook until the juice thickens and the tomatoes are about to split.

3. Add sausages and pasta and give everything a quick toss. Season with salt and pepper.

I serve my pasta with pan-fried pork shoulder loin. :)


I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) for this week's theme, Mystery Box Madness: February 2015!


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Previous Mystery Box Madness recipes:

January 2015: Blueberry Buttermilk Cake (Tessa Kiros)

December 2014: Curried Lentil Soup with Potatoes (Mark Bittman) 

November 2014: Date, Apricot, Chia Seeds Tea Bread (adapted from Diana Henry)


10 comments

  1. Hi Joyce,
    Your pasta dish is so colourful and delicious!
    I like Giada's recipes too, so many of her recipes I have KIV to try!
    Za'atar is a wonderful spice, and I love it! You can find it at Cold Storage at Mid-Valley. A little pricey, but so worth it!

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  2. I love Giada's recipes too - always delicious and family-friendly, just like this wonderful pasta dish you made. Great choice for the mystery box challenge.

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    1. Thanks Zosia! The mystery box challenge is always fun! :D

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  3. Such a fun and colorful pasta dish--love the name too. This is a great use of the MBM ingredients. You can always count on Giada for great pasta creations. ;-)

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  4. Joyce, I love how you made this Giada pasta dish look so colourful and yet heartwarming. This dish reminds me of homecooked food my mum used to make.

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  5. My family loves Giada's recipes too. In fact, I haven't made one that wasn't a complete hit! This round and round pasta is a fun recipe and a good way to get the family to eat veggies:)

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    1. Yeah, this dish is a great way to provide vegetables for the family. :)

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