Recipe: Fresh Tomato- Basil Pasta

Ashley here! This pasta was delicious, and a definite one to make again. My mom always says that cooking dinner after a long day is her relaxer and de-stress time, and she would enjoy every day being able to make a good dinner. It's not very often that I make our whole dinner with my love of baking, but tonight was an exception, and it turned out great!

Chopping the tomatoes was the hardest part, when I could have just pulsed them through our food processor. To tell the truth, I just didn't want to have to clean the processor later on. Sometimes we feel the need to make things harder than they should be, and that's ok :)

 

This light tomato sauce thickens to perfection after a half hour of simmering and "stirring occasionally." Feel free to try with different kinds of tomatoes; I used Roma and Cherry tomatoes for extra sweetness. It's a great way to use up extra garden tomatoes that you don't know what to do with!

 

 

• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 c. finely diced onion
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, diced with juices or food processed (about 6 cups)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 pound angel hair pasta, cooked according to package
• fresh grated parmesan cheese

 

 

1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add oil when hot to coat pan. Add onion and garlic to sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is tender (about 5 minutes).
2. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, vinegar, and sugar. Stir gently, breaking up tomatoes with the back of a spoon or a large fork. Simmer 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.
3. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Toss with pasta and top with cheese.

 

 



 

 



 

Recipe: Fruit Pizza

 

First Post of Sweetened with a Dash of Style! After months of talking about starting a blog, we have finally done it! Feel free to comment and give suggestions on any posts.

 

 This "cake" is super easy, delicious, and a family favorite. It's light, summery, and perfect for anyone who isn't a fan of real cake. You can mix and match fruits for different holidays or events, or just use up any extra summer fruit sitting in your kitchen!

 

Recipe courtesy of one of our all time favorite cookbooks: Our Best Bites

 

Crust

• 1 c. real butter (no substitution)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg (large)
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 3 c. all- purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• zest of 1 orange

Creamy Topping

• 1 8oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar

(Instead of this topping, we have tried mixing a package of cool whip with the same amount of orange extract. It gives the cake an even lighter topping, and is just as delicious!)

 

Fruit Topping

• 4 cups sliced fruit of your choice
• option: 1/4 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips (melted and drizzled on top)

 

1. For the Crust: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and extract and mix to incorporate.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Slowly add the flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined. Mix in orange zest.
4. Spray a round 14-inch or slightly larger pizza pan and, using your hands and a rolling pin, spread the dough out to the edges of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Bake the crust at 350 degrees F. for 18- 25 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges and completely baked in the center. Allow to cool completely before spreading creamy topping or fruit.
6. For the Creamy Topping: Use an electric mixer or kitchen aid with a whisk attachment to combine cream cheese, orange extract, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Whip cream and powdered sugar in a separate bowl until medium peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture and combine well. Spread mixture over crust.
7. Arrange fruit, and Enjoy!