ONE-PAN LINGUINE W/ A CHERRY TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

I sort of can't believe that I've posted two pasta recipes in the last month - especially since pasta is something I only treat myself to every once in a while. But I HAD to make this. I had to make it to see if Martha Stewart was right. Crazy challenge I know... I was watching her cooking show a few weeks ago and she made this pasta dish. She made it all in one pot and it looked so good and fresh- yet impossible at the same time. She made this pasta all in one pan and it only took about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Like I said, it looked good, but did it taste good??

Well of course I was wrong... This is GOOD! I layered the ingredients in the pot, covered them with water and olive oil, let it boil, said a prayer, and it was perfectly cooked in about 8 1/2 minutes. The juice from the cherry tomatoes and the slight flavor from the garlic, onions and basil create the perfect light sauce. I added a little lemon zest at the end, which really brought out all of those flavors. There is no waiting for a big pot of water to boil, no cooking a sauce on the side, no standing over a hot stove for a long period of time, and there is only one pot to clean. All of that makes this a perfect summer weeknight dish. 

Here is what you need and what to do (makes 4 servings):

12 oz linguine, regular or whole wheat
12 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
2 cups onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated lemon zest

1. Place the linguine, cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, water, and olive oil to a large skillet with straight sides. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Boil the mixture, stirring frequently with tongs to ensure that the pasta cooks evenly.

2. Boil for about 8-9 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the water is almost all evaporated. It's easy to overcook the pasta in this dish, so keep checking it to see if it is ready. If the pasta is al dente before most of the water evaporates, then simply drain some of the water out of the skillet. The liquid is the sauce and keeps the past moist, so don't drain too much of it off!

3. Season the pasta to taste with additional salt and pepper and toss. Add each serving to a bowl. Garnish with basil, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!

Images by me

LOVELY STYLING + LINKS..

Happy Friday my friends!! What's going on with you this weekend? This weekend will be quite busy for me, but I'm actually excited about that! The updates to my master bathroom will be started and hopefully completed on Monday. My bedroom will also be painted. And did I tell you I'm updating my home office, too?? That room will be painted as well. So I have lots of prep work to do. After that and a best friend's birthday party, I hope to finalize my design board for my master bedroom. I'll be sure to share it with you when I'm almost certain about it. :) I found some good links this week, so I hope you enjoy them! Have a great weekend.

The before and after of this foreclosure is stunning...

A delectable chocolate and vanilla slideshow...

These tacos look great... The kitchen she is making them in looks great, too...

I haven't shopped at The Limited in years, but it looks like that is about to change...

Five good apps for the creative... (You can find me on Pippit @savorhome!)

Loved how she "reset" her life. This is also a new favorite blog series of mine...

On conquering negativity... Gosh this was right on time for me.

A sale I'm always checking out...

Image via Domino

A BEAUTY OF A BATH: SABBE INTERIOR DESIGN

I've been following the work of designer Stephanie Sabbe since I started blogging four years ago. I found and still find her work to be functional and stylish and this beautiful bathroom is the perfect example. Doesn't it relax you just by looking at it? This was a bathroom renovation that she had to complete on a tight budget. To stay on budget, she kept the walls in tact and added the arches, which adds lovely architectural detail to the space. She found that antique marble dresser on Craig's List and transformed it into a beautiful vanity complete with leftover storage. Such a beauty. The tub, a tub I could relax in for days, was given to her by another client - and it just happened to fit perfectly in the space. The gold details against the wall color (Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue) are perfection. This is definitely one of the most beautiful bathrooms I've seen and I just had to share it with you! You can get the full details on the space here...

Images by Michael J. Lee

FARMERS MARKET VEGETABLE SOUP W/ BROWN RICE...

So if you have been reading my blog for a while, you might have noticed that I don't often completely devise my own recipes. I may add or delete an ingredient or two from a recipe I find, but that's about it. I feel like I am still in the process of learning how to cook, so I don't always feel comfortable completely coming up with my own stuff. When I do, it's often a disaster. However, I got a bit lucky with this recipe...

A few weeks ago, I really, really wanted some vegetable soup - the kind of vegetable soup your mom might make for you when you're sick. But I wasn't sick. I just wanted a big bowl of summer freshness. So I wrote down a list of vegetables and herbs I liked, then headed to the farmers market to pick them up- and this is the soup I came up with. I might have done a happy dance in my kitchen the first time I tasted it. :) I was so excited that I got this right! This soup is a big bowl of summer. It's fresh, hearty, so good for you, and so easy to make. There is a bit of prep work, though, but it's worth it and sort of necessary for this soup. Exercising"mise en place" makes the prep process easier. "Mise en place" is the French term for "putting in place." Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and in place before turning on the pot - sort of like they do on cooking shows. Anyway, I love brown rice, so I added it to the soup for more depth and volume. It was perfect - so perfect that I've made it twice in the last month. :)

Here is what you need and what to do: (Makes 6-8 servings):

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large or 2 medium sized zucchini, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Rotel tomatoes (for spice)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
3 cups kale, thinly chopped
4 cups (1 box) vegetable stock
Cooked brown rice (this is my recipe)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and saute them until translucent - about 3 minutes.

2. Add the celery, carrots and zucchini, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot and cook for about 8 minutes or until they are slightly softened. Then add the garlic saute for about a minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, basil, thyme and vegetable stock to the pot and give it a gentle stir to combine all of the ingredients. Add the kale in a few batches. It will wilt pretty fast! If the vegetables aren't completely covered once you add the last batch of kale, add just enough water until they are covered.

4. Bring the soup up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer the soup for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. The carrots are my way of knowing when the soup is ready! :) Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

5. Add a serving of cooked rice into an individual serving bowl. Ladle the soup on top of the rice and stir everything together.

A few notes:

* Chop the vegetables about the same size. That way, they will cook evenly.

* If you add the rice to the big pot of soup, the rice might become too soggy. So I like to add it to my serving bowls...

* This soup freezes REALLY well. To freeze it, let the soup cool, then add it to a freezer safe container.

Enjoy!

Images by me

WHAT TO MAKE WITH YOUR FARMERS MARKET FINDS...

{These pineapples would be PERFECT for these Grilled Fish Tacos w/ Pineapple Salsa...} 

I try to make it to the farmers market at least twice a month in the summer. This may be strange, but I find walking through farmers markets to be quite relaxing. I love looking at all of the different fruits, vegetables, plants, and all of the other things that one might really only see at a farmers market. The passion of the sellers sort of rubs off on me, which instantly enhances my attitude. The market just smells "fresh" and I love that, too...

I usually take a list of things I need with me so that my eyes don't talk me making purchases that I don't need. That doesn't always work, though... I often see something that looks so good that I have to have it. Does that happen to you?? I start researching recipes on my phone while I'm there so that my purchase can be justified... That's what happened to me this past weekend. I had a list of ingredients I needed for tomorrow's post (be sure to check back!!) and saw lots of other things that looked incredibly good. While I didn't purchase all of these, I photographed them for you and thought I would share some great recipes that include these fresh finds... Perhaps the recipes might entice you to purchase that one thing that you thought you didn't need during your next trip to the farmers market... :) 

{Crockpot French Onion Soup. Yes, yes and yes.}

{Mexican Casserole w/ Roasted Corn & Peppers. Nothing like Mexican food and a good casserole...}

{Pole beans - just extra large green beans in my opinion. This Pole & Shell Bean Salad w/ Mint has to be good. It's in NY Magazine after all... }

{The Best Carrot Cake... I believe it, too.}

{I did purchase one big bunch of this basil. It smelled amazing and was only $2 a bunch!! So I made this pesto and froze it for later...}

Images by me

A RESTFUL ROOM + LINKS...

When I look at that room, I think of the word "rest," which is exactly what I'm looking forward to this weekend! I haven't felt that great this week, so I look forward to letting many of the things I need to do go undone and indulging in some down time. And by down time I mean reading, sleeping in, a good dinner out, and maybe a movie. I finished The Fault In Our Stars this week (I cried my eyes out at the end), so I might see the movie to see if it comes anywhere close to being as good as the book. Oh and I need a new good read, so let me know if you have any recommendations! Have a great weekend and enjoy the links!

If you love the movie The Notebook (like I do), then you might think this is sweet... 

If you have a car, then you might want to try this DIY (I did and love it!)

I'd love for one of these prints to have a home on one of my walls... So lovely.

I wouldn't mind working in this functional and creative space...

I never thought I would say this, but I want a fanny pack...

Her photos are beautiful and I'm so happy for her!

Great advice from great women...

Sip sip!!

Image via Domino

HOME TOUR: A MODERN YET COZY REMODEL...

I have been following talented designer Lauren Liess's blog for quite some time, so I was thrilled when I saw the final product of her recently renovated 1970s home in Domino Magazine. The home had never been renovated, so she and her family moved into the home's upstairs while they completed a full renovation of the home's main floor. A beautiful home in my book encompasses four things: simplicity, comfort, personality and style. This home has all of those. It's bright with modern lines, yet comfortable and warm at the same time. The dining room is the perfect example of that. The lines of the modern table paired with slipcovered chairs, the cedar ceiling and warm colors make the room look so comfortable and inviting. I loved how she used the iron racks in the kitchen instead of cabinets and how she transformed a vintage dresser into a sink in that bathroom. The overall design is so creative and so personal. I just love it... 

Images via Domino, Photography by Brittany Ambridge

THE PERFECT PASTA SALAD...

So last weekend, my dad and I attended a concert at a great amphitheater. One of the great things about it is that everyone is allowed to bring their own food and drinks - including wine, beer and whatever else. I love that about that place. I wanted our menu to be simple, portable and filling, so a version of this pasta salad was the first thing that came to mind. I don't eat much pasta these days, so when I do, it's like a treat - and treats must be good! Good is exactly what this salad is. It's super easy to make and so incredibly flavorful. The best thing about this salad is that the longer it sits, the better it tastes - which also made it perfect for the concert. It's really easy to personalize, too. You can add chicken, use mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese instead of feta, pine nuts instead of walnuts, red onions instead of scallions, etc. So good. Here is my version...

Here is what you need and what to do (makes 4 large or 6 medium servings):

1lb shell pasta, regular or whole wheat

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped (the tomatoes packed in olive oil have more flavor!)

1 cup feta cheese, diced or crumbled

1 bunch basil, 

Juice of 1 lemon

Extra-virgin olive oil 

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with kosher salt - maybe a tablespoon or so. Cook the pasta until al dente, which means just done. It shouldn't be hard or mushy... Once it is done, drain it well add it to a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the pasta until it is well coated. Season the pasta with a little pepper to taste. 

2. Once the pasta has cooled, add in the toasted walnuts, tomatoes, scallions, sundried tomatoes, basil, lemon juice and cheese. Toss very gently with a large spoon. Taste for seasonings and texture and adjust if necessary. Add a little more olive oil and/or lemon juice if it's too dry for your taste. 

3. For maximum flavor, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. But it's good if eaten right away, too!

Enjoy!

Image by me