It’s May! Families all over the country are brimming with emotion, excitement, joy and tears as graduations and milestones are celebrated.
We have been reveling in graduation festivities at our home this month. This happened?
Our daughter is 18 and yes, she is graduating from high school this week. We couldn’t be more proud for a plethora of reasons. We can hardly wait to see what the future holds for our precious young lady. We were thrilled to attend her pinning ceremony last week and watch her receive her CNA pin (certified nursing assistant) as part of her senior year course work. Her love for the elderly and working with them is truly a gift from above. Enough already or I will have to stop writing and just go for the tissues.
I mentioned parties and yes, there have been parties galore. We enjoyed celebrating this special day with our family and friends and honoring our girl for all her hard work. It was a day etched in our hearts and memories forever. She had a perfect day–surprised by guests who traveled many miles to be with her on this special day and friends from years gone by. Friendships and family make up the fabric and weave of our lives and it was pure joy to witness all the fibers come together on this day.
As we all know every special occasion is marked by food and even more food.
It was great fun planning the menu and preparing for the party. Have you ever had leftovers after a big party? What to do to avoid waste when we are blessed to have access to so much and it is truly a sin to throw food away? I knew the vegetables probably wouldn’t be the showstopper on the buffet table and true to form, there were lots of vegetables left over. You can never go wrong at our house if you pair leftovers with pasta. Roasted grape tomato and green bean pasta solved the leftover dilemma and in the process this recipe will be added to our weeknight dinner arsenal.
Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Congratulations to all the May graduates with extra special love and hugs to our very special daughter. We love you and can’t wait to see the places you will go. Your future is so bright and filled with such promise. Chase your dreams!
Roasted Grape Tomato and Green Bean Pasta
8 ounces spaghetti
3 cups grape tomatoes
2 cups thin French green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste
Heat oven to 450°F.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and set aside to keep warm.
While spaghetti is cooking, place tomatoes and green beans on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes until tomatoes are bursting and charred in spots. Toss vegetables with spaghetti, pepper flakes and basil. Add salt an pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Roasted Grape Tomato and Green Bean Pasta
8 ounces spaghetti
3 cups grape tomatoes
2 cups thin French green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste
Heat oven to 450°F.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and set aside to keep warm.
While spaghetti is cooking, place tomatoes and green beans on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes until tomatoes are bursting and charred in spots. Toss vegetables with spaghetti, pepper flakes and basil. Add salt an pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
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