I recently signed up for this service where you get to pick two meals of your choice, and then the company Chefs plate delivers all the ingredients to your house, as well as the recipe you need to make the meal. Tonights menu for dinner is creamy cheese and pepper pasta!

The instructions were very easy to follow and came in the little booklet shown above.

Step 1: Cook Linguine

In a medium size pot, once the water boiled, I added in the linguine. The pasta took 14 minutes to cook until it was al dente; this Italian term means tender, but still firm to the bite. Once the pasta was sufficiently cooked, I filled a measuring cup with 1 1/4 cups of pasta water and set it aside. I strained the linguine and put it back into the pot.

Step 2: Prepare Remaining Ingredients

While the pasta was cooking I washed the cauliflower, baby spinach, and basil. I cut the cauliflower into small, bite size pieces, and finely chopped the basil. The recipe says to roughly chop the spinach, however I just washed the leaves and set them aside. Additionally, I peeled the garlic cloves and minced it using a garlic press.

Step 3: Roast Cauliflower

Next, I put the cauliflower in a bowl. To season the cauliflower I used lactose free parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp of oil, and salt and pepper. I also added in garlic powder and a little touch of onion powder. I tossed everything in the bowl and then spread it out over the pan. The cauliflower cooked for 12 minutes until it was perfectly golden brown.

Step 4: Cook Cheese and Pepper Sauce

As the cauliflower cooked, I started preparing the cheese and pepper sauce. I used a large non-stick pan to melt 1 tbsp of margarine. Once the margarine was completely melted, I added in the peppery pasta spice mix along with 3/4 of the minced garlic. These ingredients cooked over medium heat for three minutes while I stirred frequently. I gradually mixed in the pasta water, lactose free cream, and the remaining portion of parmesan cheese. Once the consistency of the sauce has thickened, reduce heat and add in more pepper.

Step 5: Mix Pesto Oil

In a small bowl I mixed the basil, vinegar, remaining garlic, parmesan cheese, and 3 tbsp of oil together; I added in additional salt and pepper.

Step 6: Assemble Pasta and Serve

I added in the pasta and baby spinach to the sauce; I mixed everything together thoroughly until the spinach withered. I put the pasta in a bowl and topped it with the roasted cauliflower and pesto oil.

 

I really enjoyed the process of making this meal. It turned out well, however the dish was quite rich. If I ever made this dish again I would use less parmesan cheese and cream when making the cheese and pepper sauce. Because spinach wilts, personally, I would also add in more spinach because I like the flavour it gives a meal. Overall, I was very pleased with this pasta dish and the chefs plate company! I can’t wait to see how the next meal I chose to make turns out.