Balsamic Pasta with Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries, Feta and Almonds
Whenever I think of dried cranberries, I always think of my mom. My mom always keeps Craisins® Dried Cranberries in her pantry because she loves to use them as salad toppers. Don’t get me wrong, they are really good as salad toppers but I wanted to do something different for this recipe. This pasta recipe is savory, and sweet and the perfect accompaniment to any meal.
Whenever thanksgiving rolls around, cranberries are going to be everywhere. Make sure you prepare to make this pasta because you don’t want to miss out.
Why dried cranberries?
We are essentially going to rehydrate them. Although this recipe is good for the holidays, I wanted to develop a recipe that you could prepare any time of the year. Dried cranberries are always available! Fresh cranberries are not.
The Method
For the pasta, simple follow the instructions on the box for al dente pasta. Don’t forget to save ¼ cup pasta water. You might need this later. Simple remove ¼ cup water from the pot after your pasta has cooked.
Heat your olive oil in a pan, and then add your balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar is going to simmer for a few minutes so it can reduce. It will thicken and become sweeter the longer it simmers. Meanwhile, the cranberries will be simmering along with the balsamic vinegar.
This is the rehydration process that I mentioned in the previous section. After the balsamic vinegar thickens, jut add in the pasta and stir until its coated. If the vinegar has thickened too much, just add in a little pasta water to thin it out. Then add in the remaining ingredients and stir until all the components are incorporated. Top your pasta with more dried cranberries, feta and almonds.
Balsamic Pasta with Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries, Feta and Almonds
ingredients:
- 12 oz pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 Craisins® Dried Cranberries + more for topping
- 1/3 cup feta + more for topping
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- salt & pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Balsamic Pasta with Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries, Feta and Almonds
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the box. Save 1/4 cup pasta water while the pasta is cooking. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and place to the side.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Then add in the balsamic vinegar and craisins. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until the balsamic vinegar thickens. Once the vinegar thickens (about 5-7 min) add in the pasta and stir until coated. If the pasta gets sticky, add in some of the pasta water. Then add in the Craisins® Dried Cranberries, feta, and sliced almonds and stir until incorporated. Top with more feta and Craisins® Dried Cranberries and serve immediately.