Chipotle Protein Pasta

This is another middle schooler success story!

We had extra kids at the house two days in a row last week, but as long as the keep eating what I make, they can keep coming.

I can’t take too much credit on this recipe either. My oldest son sent it to me and said he wanted to try it- (Yeah, the same one that asks about protein, and macros, but will polish off the whole box of Crumble Cookie…) I did make modifications, as I expect some people reading this blog will also do with my recipes. That’s the beauty in cooking. Everyone has different preferences, so each person will most likely put their own personal spin on it.

Short and sweet with this post- here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Sauce-

• 2 cans of chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce- 1 can if you want less spice.

• 2 cups of cottage cheese.

• 1 1/2 cup vodka sauce

• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup cream

Instructions:

• Place it all in a blender and mix very well.

I’m getting close to needing a new Ninja, but this is by far my favorite, and most used wedding gift. It was also one I didn’t register for, only because I didn’t know how much I needed it!

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds of steak- cubed, or beef stew meat

• 1 onion- chopped

• 3 gloves of mince garlic

• 1/2 a pint of grape or cherry tomatoes- chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Olive oil

• Wide pasta or alfredo- depending on how much protein you want to pack in, you could also use the protein enriched alfredo. I wanted the super fat restaurant like pasta, so that’s what I did here.

Instructions:

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Do not rinse when its done.

• Heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic and tomatoes. The tomatoes will cook faster than the other ingredients, but for this recipe, I think that’s okay. Cook for about 3 minutes or until onions start to soften, but aren’t fully cooked.

• Push veggies to the outsides of the pan so there is a center circle to add the steak.

• Add cubed steak. Season with salt and pepper to your preference, turning to fully season. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your steak preference. I pretty much always screw up my timing here. I love medium-rare steak, but anytime its cubed, it almost always ends up well done. Good luck!

• Back to the pasta- once it is done, strain the water and then put the it back in the pan. Do not rinse. The starch will help the sauce stick. Toss with the sauce.

• Plate the pasta first, and top with a couple scoops of steak. Garnish with parmesan cheese.