{Giveaway} Tomato and Olive Rotini

It’s National Pasta Month and I’m partnering with my friends form Dreamfield’s Pasta. Each day this month they’ve invited 31 bloggers from  around the country to come up with their most delicious pasta recipes for everyone to share and enjoy. Today I’m sharing with you one of my son’s favorite pasta recipes. It’s a quick and easy family friendly dinner everyone is sure to love.

You can keep up with all these amazing recipes by following the hashtag #IHeartDreamfields on social media. Each week has a different theme, and each day has a different cut of pasta, so there’s going to be plenty of delicious recipes to choose form.

We’ve been eating Dreamfields pasta for quite some time. It fit’s in perfectly with our diet. In fact, a one-cup cooked serving of Dreamfields pasta (2 oz. dry) provides 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein! It’s also made with premium durum wheat semolina from North Dakota. That’s why it has the same delicious taste and texture of traditional pasta.

Here’s some great tips for perfectly cooked pasta:

• Pasta is best cooked al dente, or “to the tooth.” Cook only until tender and still firm to the bite. Cooking times vary with different pasta shapes; check package directions. Overcooked pasta is mushy and sticky. Test for doneness about a minute before the cook time is up, draining early if pasta is ready.
• Pasta will continue to cook after it is drained. Unless you plan to eat it immediately, rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Let it swim! Use at least 4 quarts of water to cook a box of pasta. It needs to move freely in the boiling water to prevent it from sticking.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil before adding the pasta, and then add the pasta slowly to help keep the water boiling. Stir frequently during cooking to prevent it from sticking together.
• Salting the water is a personal preference. Adding salt to the cooking water will bring out the natural flavor of pasta. If you decide to salt the water, add about one teaspoon per box right before adding the pasta, when the water is boiling.
• We recommend pouring any sauce over the pasta just before serving. Sauce too thick? Reserve some of the water the pasta was cooked in and add it slowly to the sauce until the desired consistency is reached.
• For the best taste and texture experience, pasta should be eaten in one sitting. If you do have leftovers we suggest storing for only one to two days in an airtight container and keeping the pasta separate from the sauce.

For this pasta dish, I kept it simple. It’s just black lives, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil. That’s right only five ingredients and less than 15 minutes to make. Easy peasy!

Visit www.DreamfieldsFoods.com to learn more about the brand and get more fantastic pasta recipes.

Now Time for the Giveaway!

One lucky reader will receive a Dreamfields family pack (one box of each of the 7 cuts of pasta) + $25 gift card!

To enter the giveaway just tell me your favorite cut of pasta in the comments section below.