It's a Pasta Party!

Everyone has their favorite comfort food. Mine is pasta. One day I was scrolling on Pinterest and found what turned out to be one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I have ever made. Now I am going to share my version of it with you!

You can find the original recipe here: Two Timin' Pasta

Cheesy Brocoli Ziti

1 Box of whole wheat Penne or Ziti pasta

1 15oz jar of light Alfredo sauce

1 24oz jar of tomato sauce (I use Marinara)

3 cups of part-skim Mozzarella cheese

1 cups of Parmesan cheese

3 cups steamed broccoli (check out the freezer section for steamer bags)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to box and drain
• Cook broccoli according to package directions
• In a large bowl, mix together pasta, broccoli, Alfredo sauce, tomato sauce and 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese
• Pour mixture into tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until it starts to get bubbly
• Take out of oven and top with remaining Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese
• Bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted
• Serve with a salad and warm garlic bread for the perfect meal.
• Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you think!

Noodles & Co.

If I had to chose one food to eat for the rest of my life, I would totally chose pasta. Like if a dish consists of pasta, I will probably love it. So when my friend told me that there was a restaurant that was all about pasta, you know I was down to go there.

Noodles & Co recently opened last spring and is located in the same complex as Habit Burger in Fair Lawn. John and I saw it after our visit to Habit Burger a few weeks ago and decided to return for a visit.

We arrived around 6pm on a Wednesday and the restaurant was not very crowded. We waited in line for a few minutes and were able to quickly order our food. We were handed a card and told they would bring our food to us when it was ready so we went and got our drinks and took a seat in a corner booth.

They brought our food out less than 10 minutes later and it smelled and looked amazing. We could not wait to dig in.

I got the Bangkok Curry topped with pork. It was loaded with meat and veggies. The sauce was a little bit sweet thanks to the coconut, but still had a slight kick to it. The rice noodles were well cooked and not mushy or over cooked like other dishes I have tried.

John ordered the Penne Rosa topped with grilled chicken. I stole a bite from him and was very impressed. The creamy sauce carried a lot of kick and the chicken was very tender, as well as the pasta.

Both of our meals ended up costing us only around $10 each. For a bowl of delicious, gourmet pasta and a drink that's a pretty good deal! We both left happy, full and excited for our next meal there.

Noodles & Company
16-31 NJ Route 208
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
(201) 797-2802
noodles.com

Brother Bruno's Pizza, Deli and Bagel: A Willy P Classic

If you ask any William Paterson student where the best pizza around campus is 99% will say Brother Bruno's Pizza. Located right off of campus next to Quick Chek, it is an easy five minute walk for hungry students to get some delicious food.

The pizza shop started its own Instagram account at the beginning of the summer (@brotherbrunopizzadeliandbagel) and since then have greatly expanded their menu. They feature dozens of specialty pizza pies from chicken caesar salad pizza to peanut butter and jelly pizza. One night after an especially long day at work, my roommates and I decided to stop in to try some of these crazy pizzas.

We walked into the shop around 10pm and decided that we were going to order two small pies to share between the three of us. We checked out the extensive list of flavors and decided on one half buffalo chicken, half calamari pie and a half french toast and half Nutella pie. After about a 15 minute wait, we were handed two hot, delicious pizzas.

We rushed back to our apartment so we could chow down on these pizzas. We opened them to find that for a small pie, these pizzas were pretty big, definitely enough for the three of us to split. They each had six decent-sized slices. For my first slice I chose Buffalo Chicken. The crust was so crispy and thin, just how I like it. The hot sauce was just the right amount of slice and it was loaded with chicken. I then chose the calamari which again had the same thin, crispy crust. It had a thin layer of a slightly zesty marinara sauce which had slices of fresh mozzarella on top of it. This pie also had a decent amount of fresh fried calamari on it. Never would I have thought to put calamari on a pizza, but whoever did at Bruno's is a genius. It's the perfect combination.

I was pretty full at this point, but I told myself I had to try one of the dessert slices. It was a hard choice, but I chose the Nutella Pie. It had the same delicious crust as the other pie but instead of a savory sauce, it was covered in melted, gooey Nutella, chocolate drizzle and powdered sugar. It was absolute heaven, I don't know why I did not try this sooner. My roommate tried the French Toast pizza and said it was equally as delicious and reminded her of a cinnamon bun. I cannot wait to try a leftover slice of that one!

Overall, these pies were definitely impressive. The creative flavors were executed very well and each one was equally as delicious as the last. I cannot wait to go and try some more varieties. Even better was that for the two pies and a bottle of soda I paid less than $20! A total steal again.

P.S.- This place not only has delicious pizza but they also have sandwiches, homemade bagels, pasta dishes and other entrees for very reasonable prices.

Brother Bruno's Pizza, Deli and Bagel
200 Hamburg Turnpike
Wayne, NJ 07470
(973) 942-6561
brotherbrunopizza.com

The Most Important Meal of the Day

I love breakfast. I would eat it for every meal if I could. Being in college (and being the complete opposite of a morning person), I am always looking for affordable quick, healthy breakfasts to make/buy. After four years I have come up with a list of my breakfast staples.

1. Green Smoothie
I'll admit, I don't always eat all of my vegetables. While browsing my grocery store near my house, they were serving samples of these green smoothies and I hesitantly tried one (I mean a green drink isn't always appealing) and I was amazed at how good it was! Even more amazing is how simple it is to make.

Ingredients
1 container of vanilla greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
1 cup of orange juice
1 heaping cup of frozen mango (frozen pineapple is also delicious)
1 cup of greens (I use kale, but spinach works too)
1 banana

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for about 45 seconds or until smooth. Pour into a cup and enjoy!

2. Luna Protein Bars
Some mornings I oversleep and really need a super quick breakfast that will keep me full until I get out of my three hour morning class. These could not be any more perfect. I keep a box on my desk so I can easily grab one on the go. These bars average around $14 for a box of 12.

3. Trader Joe's Waffles
I love Trader Joe's, like I would live there if I could. My boyfriend's mom recommended these waffles to me and I am so glad she did. My favorite variety is the wheat-free, but in the fall I reach for the pumpkin spice ones. All of the varieties are super delicious and only require a few minutes in the toaster to cook. I eat them with just syrup, or when I'm on the go I spread some peanut butter or TJ's cookie butter on one with some sliced fruit and it makes an easy, mess free breakfast on the go. These go for $2.99-$3.99 for a box of 8.

4. Special K Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich
Less than 300 calories and made in less than 2 minutes? What could be better? These come in several varieties including sausage or bacon egg and cheese and vegetable, egg and cheese (my personal favorites.) All are super filling and convenient for mornings on the go. A box of 4 sandwiches will run you around $5.

What's your favorite breakfast on the go? Let me know!