Tag Archives: Pasta

How Can I Rock Pasta Night with Jeff’s Naturals?

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When it comes to fast and easy weeknight dinners, pasta reigns supreme. Pasta is one of the most versatile ingredients and pairs well with any of our Jeff’s Naturals Mediterranean pantry staples. Whether it’s a light, summery pasta salad or a heaping bowl of comfort food (like Spinach & Artichoke Mac ‘n Cheese mmmmmmm) there is a pasta dish to match every mood and occasion.

We put together a list of a few of our favorite pasta ideas you can put together in a pinch.

In a rush? Try this pro tip from Serious Eats: You don’t have to wait for a huge pot of water to boil. Using a skillet and just enough water to cover the noodles is a better way to go.

Here are some more pasta recipes you may want to add to your repertoire.  Click on the image to get the recipe. Enjoy!

Pasta-Nicoise

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Roasted Lemon Cauliflower Pasta

Roasted Tomato Sauce with Pasta- Photo @Vegetarianmamma.

How to Conquer Fast Weeknight Dinners

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Roasted Tomato Sauce with Pasta- Photo @Vegetarianmamma

If you’re like most people, you’re probably have a lot on your plate and the idea of putting dinner on the table for your family each night seems like a daunting if not impossible task. However, we all know that making time for family meals during the week is important. Multiple studies have demonstrated that a family who spends just 20 minutes at the dinner table each night is likely to spend less money on food, have better eating habits, better grades, and experience less stress overall.

We know your schedule is tight, especially during the week, so we wanted to share a few tips for making quick, quality meals that help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family. These simple meal ideas using Jeff’s Naturals pantry staples will help create family friendly dinners on the fly!

  • Roughly chop Jeff’s Naturals Garlic Stuffed Olives, scatter over grilled steak and drizzle with a bit of the wine and herb marinade.
  • Combine Jeff’s Naturals Imported Non-Pareil Capersin a hot pan with butter, lemon juice, and white wine for a classic Chicken Picatta.
  • Sautée Jeff’s Naturals Marinated Artichoke Hearts with minced garlic, diced tomatoes, and a splash of red wine for a quick, delicious pasta sauce.
    Pour an entire jar of NVB Italian Olive Antipasto, marinade and all, over a pot roast and braise for several hours until the meat is tender.
  • Stuff a chicken breast with Jeff’s Naturals Marinated Artichoke Hearts and goat cheese, coat with seasoned breadcrumbs and bake until nicely browned and cooked through.
  • Stir Jeff’s Naturals Marinated Artichoke Heartsinto a creamy risotto, along with grated Parmesan cheese and finely grated lemon zest.
  • Substitute your usual black olive with diced Jeff’s Naturals Garlic Stuffed Olives on your next taco for a twist with some added color.
  • Toss diced Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes with hot cooked pasta, minced garlic and fresh basil. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
  • Simmer minced Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes with diced fresh tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs for a light pasta sauce with intense tomato flavor.
  • Add pitted, sliced Pitted Castelvetrano Olives to hot couscous, along with salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, sliced green onions and chopped flat-leaf parsley.
  • Use sliced Jeff’s Naturals Jalapeño Stuffed Olives as a unique, spicy filling for tacos, burritos and quesadillas or as an unexpected topping for classic nachos.
  • Sauté diced onions and minced garlic in olive oil, toss in a handful of sliced or pittedJeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives and a cup or two of diced tomatoes. Simmer and serve over chicken or fish with a garnish of minced fresh herbs.
  • For a quick, satisfying meal, toss sliced Jeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives with hot pasta and a dash of olive oil Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!
  • For a special soup, add a drained jar of Roasted Bell Pepper Strips to sauteed onions and garlic along with broth and a diced potato. Simmer until potato is soft, puree until smooth, add heavy cream and season to taste.
  • Add a drained jar of Roasted Bell Pepper Strips and sliced Yellow Bell Peppers to fajita-style beef or chicken and serve with flour tortillas, spicy salsa and fresh guacamole.
  • Pour an entire jar of Jeff’s Naturals
    Sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, brine and all, over a pork roast and braise for several hours until the meat is tender. Shred the meat and use as a scrumptious taco filling.
  • Make a spicy chicken quesadilla by layering shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sliced grilled chicken and sliced Jeff’s Naturals Sunshine Mix Mild Banana Pepper Rings into a large flour tortilla. Cook in an oiled skillet to melt the cheese.

It’s possible to come with great meals, even during hectic weeknights. Browse our recipe page for more quick, delicious, family-pleasing dishes!

How to Prepare the Perfect Pasta Dish

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Mama Mia! Since October is National Pasta Month, we wanted to give a salute to one of America’s favorite foods! In recent years, pasta has gotten a bad rap (think no carb diets) but we think that pasta dishes can actually be a healthy and filling meal, especially with some help from Jeff’s Naturals all natural line of olives, peppers, capers and sun ripened tomatoes.

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What’s the secret to pasta perfection? It begins with cooking pasta itself. The National Pasta Association recommends the following steps to cook pasta perfectly every time:

1. Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for one pound of dry pasta. (You can divide this recipe depending on how much pasta you are cooking.)

2. Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil.

3. Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.

4. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.

5. Taste the pasta to determine if it is done. Perfectly cooked pasta should be “al dente,” or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.

6. Drain pasta immediately and follow the rest of the recipe.

Reheating Pasta

To reheat cooked pasta, portion out the amount you need and place in boiling water. For extra-easy draining, you can place the pasta in a stainless steel colander or strainer and then submerge in boiling water. Count 40 to 60 seconds of re-heating time for a four-ounce serving. Drain the pasta well, toss with sauce and serve immediately. Pasta can also be reheated in the microwave oven. Reheat single servings on high for 45 seconds at a time, checking between intervals for doneness.

To create the perfect pasta dish, you must also pair it with the right sauce. The National Pasta Association recommends pairing thin, delicate pastas (like angel hair or thin spaghetti)are better served with lighter, thin sauces. If it’s a heavier sauce you crave, it’s better to stick with thicker pasta shapes, like fettuccine. Pasta shapes with holes or ridges, like mostaccioli or radiatore, are perfect for chunkier sauces.

Now that you know the basics, grab a fork and dig into our newest pasta recipe using Jeff’s Naturals!

Jeff’s Naturals Mediterranean Pasta

Prep Time: 5 min.Total Time: 10 min.Serves: 4

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3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced diagonally
1 cup Jeff’s Naturals Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, drained, julienned
2 Tablespoons crushed garlic
1 pound angel hair pasta, fresh
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 jar (6.5 ounces) Artichoke Hearts, drained
1/2 cup Jeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives, drained
6 ounce crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
PREPARATION

Boil water for pasta. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken strips until no longer pink in the middle, about 3 minutes on each side. Add sun dried tomatoes and crushed garlic to skillet. Sauté for 2 minutes. In the meantime, add the fresh pasta to the boiling water, cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Add the basil, artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese to the skillet. Sauté 1 minute. Stir in cream. Strain pasta and transfer to a large pasta bowl. Add the chicken sauté to the pasta and toss.

Season with oregano, salt and pepper before serving.

Visit National Pasta Association to see these and other great pasta cooking tips!

National Pasta Month

Celebrate National Pasta Month

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Did you know that October is National Pasta Month?  Since Jeff’s Naturals Mediterranean products and pasta go together like spaghetti and meatballs, we thought it would be fun to honor this beloved traditional Italian cuisine by sharing some fun facts about pasta along with some of our favorite recipes.

Pasta Month
Source: National Pasta Association 

  • The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by a Frenchman, who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine.
  • Pasta can be traced as far back as the fourth century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta.
  • There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide.
  • To cook one billion pounds of pasta, you would need 2,021,452,000 gallons of water – enough to fill nearly 75,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
  • It was not until the 1700’s until tomato sauce was included with spaghetti in Italian kitchens.
  • The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. Legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century.
  • The most popular pasta shapes in the U.S. are Spaghetti, thin spaghetti, Elbows, Rotelle, Penne, Lasagna
  • Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing the first “macaroni” machine to America in 1789 when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France.
  • The average person in Italy eats more than 51 pounds of pasta every year. The average person in North America eats about 15-1/2 pounds of pasta per year.

Pasta Recipes

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Ingredients
1- 16 oz. package of dried rotelle pasta
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, drained & chopped
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives, drained
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, not drained
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Pepper Strips, chopped
2 Jars (4 oz) marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

Preparation
Boil Pasta according to the directions on the package. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly. Add pasta to a medium sized bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Blend together. The pasta salad may be served immediately or stored covered in the refrigerator for the following day. Enjoy!pic_Pasta-Nicoise
A refreshing dish made with Jeff’s Naturals™ Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives, Jeff’s Naturals™ Imported Non-Pareil Capers, tuna and rotini (corkscrew pasta). Click Here for the Recipe

Rigatoni_with_Puttanesca_Sauce_cropped
Capers and red wine bring out the natural flavors of tomatoes and artichoke hearts and herbs in this classic Mediterranean recipe. Click Here For the Recipe 
Roasted Lemon Cauliflower Pasta
A refreshing dish created by food blogger, Vegetarian Mama. This recipe combines gluten free pasta, cauliflower, lemon, Parmesan cheese and Jeff’s Naturals™ Imported Non-Pareil Capers. Click Here for the Recipe.

 

When it Comes to Flavor and Fun, a Little Peperoncini Goes a Long Way

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“Ugh…Pasta for dinner again?”

Does this sound familiar? If so, may we suggest adding a little twist to your regular quick weeknight dish? Why not throw in some Jeff’s Naturals sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini to liven things up! A little bit goes a long way to bring plenty flavor and fun to the table!

The possibilities are endless, you just have to get creative!

For instance, did you know you could liven up any sandwich or wrap with a hearty helping of our peperoncini? You can also toss peperoncini into a mixed green salad or top it on a pizza for an extra punch of flavor!

Pizza

How about creating a plentiful antipasto platter with our Whole Golden Greek Peperoncini, Kalamata Olives, marinated Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Bell Pepper Strips and assorted meats and cheeses? Or add some peperoncini & feta to your mac ‘n cheese for a spicy kick to the traditional recipe!

Who knew there were so many ways peperoncini can save dinner?

Here are 3 easy recipes that just may become an instant classic for you and your family! And with so little prep or need for a clean up, these dishes also made an ideal weeknight dinner (very helpful as the kids head back to school!).

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranian Salad

1- 16 oz. package of dried rotelle pasta
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, drained & chopped
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives, drained
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, not drained
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Pepper Strips, chopped
2 Jars (4 oz) marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

Preparation
Boil Pasta according to the directions on the package. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly. Add pasta to a medium sized bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Blend together. The pasta salad may be served immediately or stored covered in the refrigerator for the following day. Enjoy!

Jeff’s Kickin’ Turkey Meatball Sandwich

Meatball Sandwich

2 c. prepared turkey meatballs
1 jar gourmet pasta sauce, (We like Tomato Basil- YUM!)
1 medium red onion
4 soft sandwich rolls
1 c. Jeff’s Naturals sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini
4 oz. provolone cheese, sliced

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat 1/4 c. olive oil and prepare turkey meatballs according to package directions. Add pasta sauce and simmer on low. While meatballs are cooking, slice onion and cook in a skillet on medium high heat with remaining olive oil until edges are caramelized.

Open sandwich rolls and place on a baking sheet. Place onions on one side of the sandwich rolls. Place peperoncinis on the other side and top with provolone cheese. Heat in oven for five minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove pan from oven and add turkey meatballs to sandwiches. Serve with remaining sauce.

Best Ever Greek Salad

Greek Salad

1 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 c. feta cheese, diced
8 oz. Jeff’s Naturals sliced Golden Greek Peperoncini, drained & chopped
2 jars (15 oz.) Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Pepper Strips, drained & sliced
3 green bell peppers, seeds and membranes removed, sliced
3 large cucumbers, preferably seedless, peeled and sliced
1 jar (16 oz.) jar Jeff’s Naturals Organic Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives, drained and roughly chopped
2 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1-1/2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
Combine all of the ingredients together in a stainless or non-reactive bowl, and toss together. Allow to marinate 15 minutes. Toss again before serving. Serve on nicely arranged lettuce leaves.

photo credit: mhaithaca via photopin cc

Big News About Jeff’s Naturals Feta and Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives…..

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Cheese Stuffed OlivesNo more canola oil!

We, at Jeff’s Naturals, are passionate about good health and offering consumers products with ingredients that are free of preservatives, stablilizers, artificial colors, flavors, sulfites and GMOs.

In addition, we are always striving for excellence and believe one of the best ways to get better is to listen to our consumers.

Our Cheese Stuffed Olives, packed right here in the Napa Valley, are one of our most popular items in natural food stores.  However, many of you have contacted us via email and social media to let us know that you prefer not to include canola oil in your diet, even if it is non GMO.  This prompted us to make a change.

While it’s necessary to use oil when packing cheese stuffed olives (otherwise the cheese begins to degrade), we have opted to use expeller pressed sunflower oil, a lighter alternative to canola oil. We think you’ll agree that this makes our Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives  even more appealing!

Price Reduction!

We would also like to share that we have been able to reduce the price on these two olives—you should soon see these two cheese stuffed olives being line priced with our other delicious Jeff’s Naturals olives!

This means you can stock up on all of your favorite Jeff’s Naturals olives, at the same price! Whether you try them in a Caesar salad, sprinkled over a pizza, in a martini, an antipasto platter or tossed into your favorite pasta dish, you can’t go wrong!

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Here are a few ideas to enjoy our new and (if we do say so) improved cheese stuffed olives:

  • Make an olive tapenade by putting Jeff’s Naturals Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives into a food processor with some of the olive brine and olive oil.
  • Sauté Jeff’s Naturals Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives with ground meat, tomato sauce, raisins and herbs for a quick skillet picadillo. Serve over rice for a satisfying meal.
  • Add chopped Jeff’s Naturals Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives to some couscous, with diced tomato, minced onion and drizzle with some olive oil and olive juice and garnish with basil. You’ll have a 5 minute dish to take to your next picnic.

For more inspiration, visit our recipe page and search for recipes featuring our Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives!

Do you have any feedback about our ingredients?  Feel free to share it with us on Facebook or our contact page.