Seasonal Sundays: Pasta You'll Love

This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is all about pasta, that wonder of weeknight wonders. Need a quick supper idea? I gotcha. Love pasta salad as much as me? That too. Fingers crossed you'll find at least one idea destined for dinner this week! (Plus for Pi Day, pies, oh my.)

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

As ever, thank you for welcoming me into your InBox and RSS feed reader. It's your kitchens, your lives, I conjure while writing ... PS And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

Time Change! Have you changed the clocks this morning? So many clocks convert automatically now, I'm always surprised to find one or two that are still off a week or more later. We can never figure out how to change the clock in the old pickup so the time there is wrong half the year. Today? It's back to the correct time again.

Just a reminder, click any food photo to navigate straight to the recipe's page, it's especially handy for all of us who do most of our browsing on our phones with fat fingers.

In Praise Of ...

• ... Jackie & Shadow who've hatched three two chicks with a third on the way! I'm taking baby eaglets as a promising sign for America, I am, I am.


• ... the first spring peepers! and a huge owl who took up residence in the big ash tree way in back! and the rescue horses across the way coming to the fence line to say hello!


• ... our first spring picnic in a park, sitting in a little grotto where a half dozen robins splashed in the swampy water, shaking off the winter doldrums, those breasts sooooo orange when wet

Democracy Matters

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your To Do List this week.

Your Voice Matters Yesterday, I joined thousands? millions? of women and men who support them at a protest to mark International Women's Day. Honestly, I don't do this often, the last one was for Ukraine just after the Russian invasion in 2022. But also honestly? I should make the effort more often and encourage you to head out too. A few thoughts:

• Do bring a sign, something that's meaningful to you. If only I could remember the dozens and dozens and dozens that were so apt and clever. Be sure the letters are big enough to be seen. Be sure it's easy to hang onto! I hit up the dollar store for some supplies and made a front & back sandwich board, definitely not necessary (though loooooots of photographers asked for permission to take my picture) but the effort was so worthwhile: so much fury went into those words written, that time spent. It left me less angry and more committed.
• If you have someone to go along with, that's great. But at least on this day, I didn't feel the least bit alone among so many democracy warriors.
• I bought these blue cowbells (affiliate link) and passed them them out to people, especially men, who had arrived without signs or noisemakers and didn't seem to know what to do until I said, "Here. Make a little noise!" I kept one for myself but gave it away too when it was time to head out.
• Where were the men???? There were some but let's say 100:1 women:men. And sure, this was a march on International Women's Day but WTF, guys, do you not have mothers or sisters or spouses or daughters or co-workers or ... ...
• There were sooooo many people, soooooo many signs and sooooo much noise at a major intersection here in St. Louis. It really worked to look at specific drivers, to encourage them to honk-honk-honk their car horns.
• We got a lot of honks and thumbs up and fist pumps and "elbows up" from passengers/drivers. At least to me, it was surprising that lots of passengers were also videoing the whole lineup of people about three blocks worth on both sides of the street.
• A few were a little ugly, middle fingers, laughing and mocking. The crowd laughed right back. "We're fighting for your rights too, buddy."
• The most disconcerting were those who looked away or looked down, pretended we weren't there. I guess that's what it feels like, a homeless person on a street corner, when we (yes, I) look away or down to our phones.

I do have to say this. Why the heck isn't the entire country in the streets???

One last bit of encouragement, courtesy of my sister. "If you're feeling down, just remember that a trillion dollars worth of Russian propoganda did not work on you."

The Words of Wise Women

• READ Speaking to Working and Rural Folks by rural activist & power thinker Jess Piper (did you see her quoted by Heather Cox Richardson this week?!)
• TAKEAWAY "We need to tie Elon and his billionaire ilk to Trump. ...Elon is Trump. DOGE is Trump. Layoffs are Trump. Higher grocery prices are Trump. Tariffs are Trump. Misery is Trump. All of this is Trump."

Major Minor Holiday Alert!

C'mon, people. March is packed with celebration ideas but this year, of ALL the years, let's not forget the mathematics-inspired "Pi Day" this Friday, that's March 14th, also 3/14 ... get it? "Pi" = 3.1416 and so on. Now get it?

Not let's make a pie! Or some mini pie bites!

PS Not into crust? Just make some Banana Cream Pudding!

• THE COLLECTION Pies & Tarts, Crusts & More from a life-long pie-baker.
• HOW TO CELEBRATE #PieDayFriday week in, week out.

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Pasta You'll Love

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes with year-round flavors and combinations that are ...

• ... mostly suppers but a couple of favorite pasta salads, too
• ... mostly heady with vegetables with a couple of meaty options, too
• ... definitely great choices for quick, weeknight suppers

• THE RECIPE Italian Pasta Salad with Garlicky Tomatoes & Collard Greens Orzo sweetened with soft, syrupy tomatoes and tender greens. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Italian Spaghetti with Garlic & Olive Oil) Hot pasta gently tossed with warm garlicky oil.

• THE RECIPE Best-Ever Macaroni Salad The summer classic, just better. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Dill Pickle Pasta Salad A surprising pickle-y combination, a favorite for potlucks and pickle fans. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet Colorful bell peppers in a light cream sauce. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Pesto Pasta Primavera Another Quick Supper, so many veggies, not much pasta. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon Another easy pasta supper, lemony, garlicky, cheesy, broccoli good. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Lemon & Asparagus Pasta Light and bright for spring.

• THE RECIPE Leek Sauce for Pasta A Quick Supper, pasta hugged by a gentle leek sauce. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Pesto with Spinach Familiar pesto with a spinach twist. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce for the Slow Cooker All of the flavor, a fraction of the calories. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta & Pizza Canned tomatoes plus pantry ingredients, ready in 20 minutes.

• THE RECIPE Mac n Chicken Just mac 'n' cheese with chicken, just mac 'n' cheese with protein.
• ANOTHER TAKE Cauliflower Mac n Cheese with Ricotta You'll love the no-cook cream sauce. (PIN This)

• THE COLLECTION Pasta Supper Recipes from Kitchen Parade, extra-organized so it's easy to find just the right recipe.
• STILL MORE SUPPER IDEAS main dishes from Kitchen Parade, beef to beans and everything in between.

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Twice-Baked Potatoes All the retro goodness but smaller, more manageable. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Hasselback Potatoes So little effort, so much drama. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup A hearty classic with tender beef, vibrant vegetables and a rich, savory broth. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Make Homemade Vegetable Soup Never the same twice.

• THE RECIPE Jam Jar Vinaigrette Don't pitch that jar, use the last bits for an easy salad dressing. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette Bright and vibrant with earthy spice.

• THE RECIPE Easy Shrimp & Noodles Slurpy-good comfort food in 30 minutes with just five ingredients. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage A Cajun skillet, on the table in 30 minutes. (PIN This)

March: Reader Favorites

• THE RECIPE Old-Fashioned Banana Floats Part root beer float, part orange julius. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Orange Julius Drinks With extra protein, no refined sugar.

• THE RECIPE Roasted Broccoli with Lemon & Garlic
• ANOTHER TAKE Lemony Broccoli Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Think lemon on lemon, simple and surprisingly substantial.

Trending NOW ...

• THE RECIPE Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding Sweet and satisfying but won't ruin your diet. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy-Easy Chocolate Coconut Pudding Just five ingredients and ten minutes to pudding.

• THE RECIPE Big Cajun Chopped Salad Don't skip the olives! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Big Italian Chopped Salad A messy jumble of our favorite Mediterranean ingredients. Buon appetito! (PIN This)

March: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

• THE RECIPE Homemade Chocolate Sauce In-a-Flash Just ten minutes and five pantry ingredients. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Blackberry Sauce Just five minutes and three ingredients!

• THE RECIPE Potato, Cabbage & Rapini Colcannon The classic Irish combination, low-carb and creamy-good.
• ANOTHER TAKE Butternut Squash Polenta Pure deliciousness + gorgeous color.

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• March 9th (today!) - "spring forward" time change
• March 14th (Friday) - Three-One-Four Day, a Celebration of All Thing St. Louis (314 is our area code!)
• March 14th (Friday) - Pi Day
• March 16th (Sunday) - St. Urho's Day
• March 17th (Monday) - St. Patrick's Day
• March 20th (Thursday) - First Official Day of Spring
• March 22nd (Saturday, 8:30pm your local time) - Earth Hour
• March 25th - Equal Pay Day (2024 was March 12th, way to go, ladies!)
• March 27th (Thursday) - Baseball Opening Day!
• April 1 (Tuesday) - April Fool's Day
• April 12 (Saturday) - 20th - Beginning of Passover
• April 20th - Easter (yikes! so late!)

• IS IT FOR REAL? St. Urho's Day is celebrated on March 16th by people of Finnish heritage.
• IS IT TO MATCH? St. Patrick's Day Why should the Irish get all the fun?!

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Mid March (Week 11)
• 2021 Mid March (Week 11)
• 2022 Mid March (Week 11)
• 2023 Spring Pies & Tarts (Week 11)
• 2024 Spring Forward ... Slooowly (Week 11) (PIN This)

RECENT WEEKS
• Fish for Lent & Spring (Week 10) (PIN This)
• Everyday Cajun (Week 9) (PIN This)
• Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner (Week 8) (PIN This)
• Sweet Little Somethings (Week 7) (PIN This)
• Super Bowl Spread (Week 6) (PIN This)
• Spinach for Any Occasion (Week 5) (PIN This)
• Project Cooking (Week 4) (PIN This)
• Snow-Day Suppers (Week 3) (PIN This)
• Feeding Our Vegetable Cravings (Week 2) (PIN This)
• Best of 2024 (PIN This)

Bridging the Seasons: Soups & Salads Especially for March

March is such a funny month for cooking, some wintry days (yo, soups!), some spring-like days (hey, salads!) and so many days neither one nor the other, just smack in the middle. So what grabs us depends on the day, yes? That's why I spent a year gathering all of A Veggie Venture's best soup and salad recipes into easy-to-scan month-by-month collections.

• THE COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for March So many choices!
• BUT REALLY, DON'T MISS Bok Choy Salad with Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette The quick, flexible and dare-I-say addictive salad.
• OR THIS Pride of Erin Soup A simple soup, just cabbage, potato and kale perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Good to Know!

• THE RECIPE No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker Just 4 common vegetables, just 3 hours. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE No-Big-Deal Homemade Chicken Stock How to turn making chicken stock from a production into No-Big-Deal. (PIN This)

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• March 9 — National Crabmeat Day (Light & Lemony Crab Salad)
• March 9 — National Meatball Day (Mini Porcupine Meatballs)
• March 13 — Popcorn Lover's Day (How to Cook Popcorn in a Microwave in a Paper Bag)
• March 14 — Bake a Pie in Solidarity Day (Pies & Tarts)
• March 15 — Maple Syrup Day (maple syrup recipes)
• March 15 — National Peanut Lovers Day (peanut butter)

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.

• THIS WEEK We had an intense morning of winter this week, huge wind gusts, the snow falling sideways. This hit the spot! So good!
• THE RECIPE Hamburger Soup A hearty soup with chunks of meat and a cornucopia of bright-colored vegetables. (PIN This)

• THIS WEEK This is such a useful recipe! Not only does it taste good, I've scaled it down to a small cast iron skillet, just 4 small servings. No sugar and it bakes in 10 minutes! So good!
• THE RECIPE Southern Corn Bread Six tips for perfect cornbread, this recipe or yours. (PIN This)

• THIS WEEK This one always takes me by surprise, reminding me to make it more often. My husband even had seconds and he's not one for seconds! So good!
• THE RECIPE Warm Lentil Salad with Spinach & Goat Cheese Way more than the sum of its parts.

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Irish Beef Stew A hearty, beer-rich stew with carrots and potatoes. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Corned Beef with Red Potatoes, Carrot Chunks, Cabbage Wedges & Cheese Sauce Traditional for St. Patrick's Day. (PIN This)

Something to Read

So I have a soft spot for David Wroblewski's first book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, the book that kept me turning pages late into the night some almost 17 years ago. Who knows where my life would be had I actually, as I was tempted, skipped the 4th of July party where I met my now-husband? Who knows?! We just never know, do we ...

When his second book was published last year, it immediately went onto my to-read list. It's a long book — 1000 pages, 35 hours — and it's equally fascinating. It's also a slow read, one to pay attention to the lyricism of the language and the depth of the topics.

I'm just a quarter of the way in but oh, the characters are both fascinating and confounding. There are stories within stories. There are dead-end roads or perhaps you just can't yet see that a dead-end is actually a fork in the road. Time will tell.

• THE FIRST BOOK The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (affiliate link) by David Wroblewski
• THE SECOND BOOK Familiaris (affiliate link) by David Wroblewski


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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