italian Archives - Simply Happenstance

:: Lemon Asparagus Prosciutto Pasta ::

{gluten-free}

Hello, everyone! I feel like it’s been ages since I last posted! I took last week off from blogging to thoroughly enjoy my Maui vacation with my handsome man! Our trip was AMAZING! Truly… just what we needed! {I will share some photos and highlights of our trip soon!}

So… on to this delectable dish! I have been making this tasty pasta for the past few years {adapted from the fabulous Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network}. The original recipe was completely delicious… however, I added the juice of a fresh lemon, and grated parmesan to jazz things up a bit! Since I’m not currently eating wheat… I also made it gluten-free by using quinoa pasta! It was so good… and a great alternative to using rice pasta {also a gluten-free choice}.

I love how fresh this pasta dish is! It uses only the finest, simple ingredients… asparagus, basil, prosciutto, garlic, creamy smoked mozzarella, grated parmesan, and tangy lemon. {Yum! Such a lovely Spring or Summer dish!} [Read more…]

:: Perfectly Homemade Pizza Dough ::

Believe it or not… I actually went about two years without eating pizza {Gasp! I know!}. During my first pregnancy, I didn’t experience food cravings as much as I experienced food aversions. Unfortunately, pizza… was the enemy. I couldn’t handle the taste, smell, or even the word P-I-Z-Z-A. Thankfully with time, the aversion passed {I think Husby was especially grateful for that}! Now… like most of you, I completely savor a good slice of pizza… especially if it’s homemade. Typically my husby picks up some of Trader Joe’s premade pizza dough, on his stop at the market before making his way up the mountain to our home. However, this week, he was home from the fire station for a few days and we didn’t have any dough on hand. I decided to mix up an easy homemade pizza dough {from one of my faves… The Pioneer Woman}, and top it with fresh, organic veggies from my mom’s garden. Yum!

The best part about making homemade pizza dough, is that there are literally only a few key ingredients needed…. flour, salt, olive oil, water and yeast. It honestly took me less than 5 minutes to make, and only an hour to let rise.

[Read more…]