Pasta
JINNY�S
20 MINUTE ITALIAN
1 medium sized package of elbow macaroni (or rotini, or ziti, or ...)
1 can of spaghetti sauce
1� to 2 packages of shredded cheese
Grated parmesan cheese
Boil macaroni till it's done. Coat (lightly) 13x9 pan with olive oil (or cooking spray). Drain macaroni and mix spaghetti sauce with it in the pot you boiled pasta in. Put half of the Mac mix into the 13x9, cover that with parmesan, then cover it with half the cheese and then repeat. Bake in oven 15 - 20 minutes at 350.
Really easy and very fast. Great for when you're broke but people are coming to dinner anyway. Feeds at least 6 (I always have leftovers).
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SUGARCOOKIE�S
CHICKEN ALFREDO PESTO PIZZA
1 pkg Louis Rich Chicken Alfredo (sauce and cooked chicken)
Handful fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup cooked spinach
� cup water
8 oz shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese (Sargento)
Sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 Boboli pizza crust
Mix together the first five ingredients. Spread on crust. Top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. Serve to new guy you've been seeing. Wake up in his arms.
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OLIVEJUICE�S
EASY CALZONES
Pillsbury ready-made pizza crust
Ricotta cheese (size depending on how many you are making)
Mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Oregano, garlic, minced onion, pepper, Mrs. Dash
Olive oil
Red sauce of your choice
Filler Suggestions:
Chicken
Ham
Ground beef
Pineapple
Pepperoni
Any and all veggies
Cheese- Mix � a cup of mozzarella per 2 cups ricotta with egg and season to taste.
Lay out crust and cover half with mozzarella cheese, leaving about � inch rim from the edge on the side you cover. ONLY fill on the cheesy half. Next, put a layer of sauce, a layer of cheese mixture, then your fillers. Put more sauce or cheese mixture to taste. Finally, cover with a layer of mozzarella, and then pull empty side over the top and seal. Brush with olive oil and bake at 350 until golden brown.
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LOUI�S
GARDEN-VEGGIE PRIMAVERA
I made this last night - very good. (Not my own recipe - from Cooking Light) I think it has just under 5 grams of fat per serving (serving = one cup).
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
� cup sliced carrot
� cup sliced celery
� cup broccoli florets
� cup red bell pepper rings
1 garlic clove, minced
� cup tomato juice
� cup chopped fresh basil
� cup frozen green peas
� teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 1� cups uncooked bow tie pasta)
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add carrot and next 4 ingredients (carrot through garlic); saut� 3 minutes. Stir in tomato juice and basil; simmer 3 minutes. Add peas, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese.
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KIM�S
GRAM�S PIEROGI
(makes 60-70)
6 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1� teaspoon baking powder
4� tablespoons melted shortening
3 eggs beaten with milk
8 oz. sour cream
Beat all ingredients until well blended and a dough forms. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut circles using a round cookie cutter or the top of a glass. Dollop *filling in center of circles. Fold circles in half and seal the edges (use a little bit of water if they aren�t sealing). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in pierogi. Boil for 10 minutes or until they float to the top. Remove & drain. You can freeze them like this or fry them in butter after they�ve dried.
*My favorite cheese filling
1 pound farmer�s cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 extra large egg
Mix until well blended.
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WONG FOO�S
HANGOVER PASTA
Sauce:
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vodka
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
� teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Topping:
Grated zest of one large lime
Grated Parmesan
1 package or 8 ounces of vermicelli, prepared al dente
Combine all sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Cook pasta until al dente, then thoroughly drain and toss with sauce in bowl. Top with freshly grated lime zest and Parmesan.
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MARVA�S
MAGNIFICENT PASTA SAUCE
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
1 chopped onion
1 chopped clove of garlic
� cup of white wine
24 fl oz of chopped/crushed tomatoes
1 diced green pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
� tsp. of salt
� tsp. of black pepper
Italian spice, oregano, parsley, sugar, pepper, Tabasco sauce, basil
Over medium-high heat stir in the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, green pepper (and any other veggie you want), sugar, and olive oil. Cook for 4 minutes.
Add white wine. Cook for 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes, Tabasco sauce and spices. Turn down heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes. Add salt & pepper.
Pour over your choice of pasta; serve immediately. Add parmesan cheese, if desired.
And it might even be low fat!
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JAMIEMICHELE�S
PARMESAN BACON PASTA
What you'll need:
1 box (1 pound) regular spaghetti noodles
2 cups parmesan cheese (freshly grated, if possible)
2 eggs (whole)
1� cup half and half
1 cup chopped chives
3 cups chopped (cooked) bacon
Cook and drain noodles. In a separate bowl, mix half and half, chives, eggs, and parmesan cheese. Add noodles to this bowl (Important: Add noodles to mix bowl, not vice versa. The hot pan you cooked the noodles in will cook the eggs, and you don't want that!) Add cooked and chopped bacon. Mix well. Salt, to taste. Serve warm or cold.
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KIM�S
PASTA �N TUNA SALAD
(Best made the night before.)
Cooked, rinsed, & cooled shell pasta
Mayonnaise
Tuna (albacore or chunk work best)
Lipton�s Vegetable Recipe Secrets
Golden raisins (if you plan on eating the salad right way, plump raisins in a bowl of cool water first & squeeze out excess water. If made the night before, they will plump for you in the salad.)
Fresh broccoli, cut up into bite sized pieces
Fresh peas or beans (I usually use sugar snap but any fresh bean will work.)
Mix mayo & Vegetable Recipe Secrets to your taste (I prefer it a little on the stronger side, once it is all blended & sits it�s not as potent). Stir in raisins. Mix with pasta. Fold in tuna gently so it doesn�t break apart. Toss in vegetables.
(Kim�s Pasta �N Tuna Salad also appears in the �Salads & Dressings� section.)
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HONEYCHILD�S
PASTA PRIMAVERA
Scrumdillyumptious!
You�ll Need:
1� c. baby carrots, trimmed
3 c. uncooked cavatappi or penne pasta
1 t. olive oil
2 c. zucchini or other summer squash, cut up into chunks
� c. shelled green peas (I used sugar-snap)
1 t. salt
� t. pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
� c. dry white wine
1/3 c. whipping cream
1 T. lemon juice
� c. grated parmesan cheese
� c. thinly sliced fresh basil
� c. chopped fresh parsley
Prep:
1. Bring 2 qts. of water to a boil in a stockpot. Add carrots; cook for 3 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add pasta to boiling water; cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet (I use a wok) over med-high heat. Add squash; saut� for 3 mins. Add carrots, peas, salt, pepper and garlic; saut� for 2 mins. Stir in wine; scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in cream and juice; cook for 1 minute. Add pasta and cheese; stir well to coat. Remove from heat; stir in basil and parsley.
Yields 4 - 2 cup servings.
(Honeychild�s Pasta Primavera also appears in the �Vegetables� section.)
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COCO�S
PASTA SALAD
Perfect for summertime! Can either be a side or a whole meal. Goes really well with a simple fish entree.
*Cook about 4 cups of rigatoni (pasta).
*Drain and let cool.
*In the meantime, mix together enough olive and canola oil to cover the pasta to your liking.
*Finely chop 1 to 3 garlic cloves and add to oil mixture. (I use my food processor.)
*Dice about 10 cherry-size pieces of mozzarella. (I buy the kind that is in water.)
*Cut a small amount of goat cheese into bite-size pieces. (It is usually sold in a tiny container--I use that entire container.)
*Chop up some FRESH basil. A few leaves should be enough. But it's really important to make sure it's fresh. (Once again, the food processor.)
*Add some red onion if you want. (Depending on your mood.)
*Add salt to taste.
*Mix all the ingredients together very gently. Let it sit at room temperature for an hour. Do not serve cold.
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LOUI�S
PASTA WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
8 oz. Rigatoni, Mostaccioli, or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
1 pound fresh mixed vegetables, such as:
Green beans
Red onions
Snow peas
Asparagus
Carrots
Squash
Turnips
Zucchini
Leeks
Fennel
Red or green bell peppers
Mushrooms
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
� cup chicken broth
Preheat oven to 500-o F. Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, slice or cut vegetables and place in a shallow baking pan, arranged in a single layer. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, and brush lightly with oil. Roast in a 500-o F oven for about 10 minutes or until vegetables caramelize and brown, leaving any juice in the baking sheet. Drain and set juices aside. Chop vegetables into 1-inch pieces. When pasta is done, drain well. Toss cooked pasta with vegetable juice, vegetables, vinegar, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
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[VERLEST]�S
PEANUT PASTA
This is a good everyday dish. You can use chicken, shrimp, or even beef.
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced or 2-3 cups cooked shrimp
1 cup chicken stock
1 carrot, julienned
1 cup, small peas
2 tablespoons of each: honey, soy sauce, and cornstarch
� cup 100% natural peanut butter
2-3 green onion stalks, chopped
500 grams linguine
Chopped fresh parsley
Chopped peanuts
1. Heat oil; saut� chicken until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. Combine stock, honey, and soy sauce; whisk in cornstarch and peanut butter.
3. Cook and stir until just thickened.
4. Stir in onions, carrots, and peas, reserved chicken; cook until vegetables are tender.
5. Cook linguine to taste.
6. Toss in pasta with chicken mixture; top with parsley and peanuts.
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HEATHER�S
PENNE WITH CITRUS CREAM SAUCE
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
� pound penne or other tubular pasta
1 pink grapefruit
2 navel oranges
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
� cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta.
With a sharp knife, cut peel and pith from grapefruit and oranges. Working over a bowl, cut grapefruit and orange sections free from membranes, transferring sections to a plate, and halve them. Squeeze excess juice from membranes into juice in bowl and reserve � cup juice.
In a 12-inch skillet, combine reserved juice, and cream and heat sauce over moderate heat until butter is just melted. Keep cream sauce warm over very low heat.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta well in a colander. Add pasta, fruit, Parmesan, and parsley to sauce and toss with salt to taste until most of sauce is absorbed.
Serves 2.
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MS. MONEYPENNY�S
STRONG ISLAND ITALIAN STALLION SPAGHETTI AND SUGO
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli. - Clemenza, The Godfather
This recipe was told (actually, shown) to me by a friend�s great Nona. So forgive the inexact measurements. As Nona would say, �Tatto giusto con il vostro cuore il gusto che desiderate, farfalla.� This means something like, Just feel with your heart the taste you want, butterfly. She was so cute.
Brown hamburger meat, Italian sausage (not in the casing), some ground pork, and some ground veal in a huge frying pan (equal parts hamburger and sausage, and about half as much for the pork and veal). Add one whole sliced yellow onion, 3-8 cloves of garlic, halved. Saut� until onion is translucent. Add two chopped red peppers. Saut� 3-4 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add one large can of crushed tomatoes (use Cento brand) and one small can of tomato paste (use Heinz). Mix thoroughly and add herbs, one bay leaf, lotsa oregano, basil, a pinch of tarragon, and as much red pepper flakes as you can handle. Add in � cup dry red wine, simmer for at least 30 minute, but Nona let it go all dang day on low heat.
Boil spaghetti in lots of salted water, take out just before done and toss pasta with a little sauce in a saut� pan to let the pasta finish cooking with the sauce instead of just water. This way, the pasta pulls the flavor of the sauce actually into the pasta. Serve with a little more sugo on top. Dee. Lish.
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KIM�S
VEGETABLE MANICOTTI
(makes 8 manicotti)
2 cups thin tomato sauce (b�chamel works well)
8 uncooked manicotti shells
2 tablespoons grated Romano
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 medium sized zucchini, shredded
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
� cup sliced green onion (about 5)
� teaspoon salt
� teaspoon pepper
� cup ricotta cheese
Cook and drain manicotti as directed on box, rinse and drain. Stir Romano cheese into tomato sauce. Melt butter in pan. Add zucchini, bell pepper, onions, salt, and pepper. Stir occasionally & cook until crisp-tender. Stir in ricotta and heat 1 minute.
Fill manicotti with mixture (it�s easiest to use a pastry bag). Place in greased baking dish. Pour sauce over manicotti. Cover and bake in 350 oven for 30-40 minutes.
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ADRIEN�S
VEGETARIAN PENNE WITH KALE AND MUSHROOMS (AND OCCASIONALLY, BAKED TOFU)
You need:
-Penne pasta
-fresh kale (spinach also works)
-fresh mushrooms (two portabellas or a container of regular)
-Italian spices and/or fresh basil
-fresh garlic
-pesto
-vegetable broth
-pine nuts (toast in the oven first: 10 minutes on a sheet pan at 350)
-crumbled feta cheese
-baked tofu (optional)
-diced onion (optional)
Now do this:
-start the pasta according to directions
-rinse kale, remove the center stem and tear into bite-sized pieces.
-Steam kale for just a few minutes- until it's bright but not too wilty (if you use spinach, skip this step!)
-in a skillet, heat up some olive oil and a clove of crushed garlic (and onion if desired)
-throw in sliced mushrooms and saut�
-sprinkle w/ Italian spices if desired
-pour in a little vegetable broth mixed w/ water
-after the mushrooms are saut�ed, toss in the kale and more water/broth mixture and let it all simmer so the liquid reduces
-add cubed baked tofu if desired
-stir a big spoonful of pesto in with the drained pasta
-toss in the kale and mushrooms
-add a little crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts on top
This makes enough for two-three servings.
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COCO�S
VERY SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE
You're probably noticing a small theme. Yes, I eat a lot of pasta.
� cup olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1� to 2 cups shredded carrots
1 or 2 tbsp. of minced garlic
12 cups of peeled and coarsely chopped tomatoes (with any juice) (Avoid using canned tomatoes unless you have to)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp. minced fresh basil
Heat the oil in a deep pot and saut� the onions and carrots over med-high heat until wilted, 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Stir in the salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer to thicken-10-15 minutes, put in a food processor just enough to make a coarse texture. (You can skip this step if you don't have one. Just really mash up the tomatoes while it is simmering)
It's really good just plain or add some tuna fish as a topping. I like it either way.
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