I’m not sure how it happened, but it’s August. Yikes. My kids have informed me they have mixed feelings about going back to school in just a couple of weeks. There’s the excited anticipation of finding out who your teacher is and what friends are in your class, and of course there’s also the dreaded grind of homework that is lurking around the corner. So mixed feelings it is. For me too.

This Orzo with Pesto and Peas dish reminds me a lot of something my mom would make us when we were kids. We always had pasta with peas or even rice with peas for dinner. I think I understand why – it’s quick, inexpensive and is just enough to fill up small children’s bellies. I’ve made this pesto version (because, you know me + pesto = <3 ) quite a few times and it works as a great side dish to grilled chicken or salmon or on it’s own for a light (lazy) dinner. The sun dried tomatoes add a color and flavor that I just love.

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One of my daughter’s favorite soups to order out is creamy tomato soup. It’s one of my favorites too and after sharing with her the art of dunking grilled cheese (or paninis) into a bowl she asks for it all the time. I really don’t make tomato soup often enough, but a couple of weeks ago when Florida got hit with it’s 2-day winter freeze, this Tomato and White Bean Soup was exactly what we needed to warm us up. It definitely hit the spot.

Speaking of my daughter and her favorite things…my sweet girl turned 8 last Thursday and we have been celebrating her with some of her favorite things all weekend long. She’s growing up so fast and it’s just crazy to me that she was just ONE year old when I started this blog. She wasn’t even walking yet! 7 years later she is my little foodie in the making. She has the biggest heart, loves her brothers, and is just full of spunk…she’s a very funny girl and likes to crack us up – we sometimes refer to her as a mini Kristen Wiig.

Her birthday dinner request? This manicotti (minus the butternut squash) she helped me make a few months ago and key lime pie. That’s my girl.

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Zombie Mom Pasta: Whole Wheat Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli – an easy weeknight meal! #zombiemom #pastarecipe #healthypastarecipe #chicken #chickenrecipe #healthychickenrecipe #simplemeal #easydinner #dinnerideas #healthyrecipe #aggieskitchen

So it’s official. I’m a zombie mom. There is no other way to describe how I feel these days. Since it’s been about 6 years since my daughter was an infant, I can honestly say that I forgot how it felt to not be able to carry on a conversation in public without saying stupid or forgetting something like your kids birthday, what you need at the deli counter or even what day it is. This is the state of my condition right now people. It’s not pretty.

We have been in survival dinner mode in our house lately. I’ve been doing my best to plan ahead two or three days at a time, especially with what I have on hand since I don’t have the flexibility to run out to the grocery store for last minute ingredients with a newborn easily and often just yet. Between moving and having a baby all within the same month, I can honestly say we have had our share of takeout and sandwiches lately. Enough is enough. You know it’s enough when pizza used to feel like a treat, but instead has become the norm and even the kids are groaning about it.  All I have to say is thank goodness for pasta. I am finding that pasta is becoming my go to dinner when I feel like I really have to make something somewhat healthy and nutritious for dinner without too much work.

My freezer and pantry are my friends right now (thankfully I stocked up on some staples before baby arrived!) and after taking inventory of what I had I successfully put together a dinner for the fam I could feel good about the other night in record time. And bonus, there was plenty leftover for lunch (for me!) the next couple of days.

Being able to make a meal out of whatever you have on hand is something I have learned to do well over the years. I think I get it from my mom (and probably my dad and my grandparents too) because I rarely ever saw anyone in my family follow a recipe – especially when making dinner – unless they were baking something special. Food was something that was not wasted in my family, leftovers were constantly being reinvented into something for the next meal. My mom is the queen out of putting a meal on the table for lunch or dinner, whatever it may be, using up odds and ends of whatever she finds – and pasta (like this one) is one of those dishes perfect for just that.

This recipe is not meant to be exact. Play with your ingredients and adjust their quantities. Use what you have, fresh or frozen. And enjoy. 🙂

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It’s always fun to go to a get together where everyone brings a dish. It gives you the opportunity to try out food that your friends and family enjoy cooking (always gives me ideas and inspiration!), and it also sometimes gives me the chance to branch out from the norm and make something that my family wouldn’t necessarily eat at home. This pasta salad isn’t really a good example of that since (thankfully) we all love pasta, tomatoes and cheese, but you catch my drift, right?

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Anyway, growing up in a pizza shop family for pretty much my entire life has turned me into somewhat of a pizza addict. I could seriously eat pizza every day. And I like it so many different ways…on traditional pizza dough, on pita bread, english muffins, flat outs… you name it, I’ll eat it. I love to get creative with the toppings. I’m not a big meat eater, but sausage and peppers pizza would have to be my favorite meat pizza. Veggie and more veggie is my other favorite.

I made this pizza one Friday night not long ago and it was amazing. This is the kind of pizza I would love to order out, but am always overruled by the fam (cheese and pepperoni always wins). I love the contrast of the peppery arugula on top of the warm pizza, tastes so fresh and gourmet. This was super easy and fun to make at home and I will definitely be enjoying this again soon.

Caramelized Onion and Arugula White Pizza

Ingredients:

• homemade or store bought pizza dough (I purchase mine from Publix bakery)
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• caramelized onions (see recipe here)
• garlic, minced
• freshly shredded mozzarella
• freshly grated Parmesan
• sun-dried tomatoes
• arugula
• balsamic glaze, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make sure your baking stone is preheating in oven.
2. Drizzle olive oil over your stretched and shaped pizza dough. Sprinkle dough with kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle minced garlic, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan over dough. Add caramelized onions and sundried tomatoes and carefully transfer to preheated pizza stone. (I use a large cutting board dusted with flour when I am preparing my pizza. When pizza is ready to go in oven, I take out hot stone and place on a hot pad near cutting board and transfer on the counter. Just work carefully and patiently.)
3. Bake pizza in 425 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until crust is cooked and bottom is crispy. When pizza is done, transfer back to cutting board and top with fresh arugula. Drizzle with a balsamic glaze if desired.

Check out my Pinterest board for more pizza recipes.
Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Pizza & Flatbread on Pinterest.

If you want to make your own dough, try Pioneer Woman’s recipe for her favorite pizza or  Maria’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough.

Want more pizza?

Spicy Pepperoni Pizza with Caramelized Onions – Two Peas and Their Pod

Margarita Pizza with Ricotta and Prosciutto – Jersey Girl Cooks

Meatball Pizza – Recipe Girl

Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust – Recipe Girl

CPK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza – Pioneer Woman

Rocky’s Spinach Pizza – Aggie’s Kitchen

Larry’s Italian Stallion Pizza – Aggie’s Kitchen

Grilled Stinger Naan Pizza – Aggie’s Kitchen

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pizza – Aggie’s Kitchen

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Don’t forget to enter my “Create your Everyday Escape” giveaway ($75 SpaFinder gift card and Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip goodies!). Giveaway ends Friday, March 4 at midnight (EST).

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