Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts

Big Kid Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 lb. elbow macaroni
6 strips bacon cooked and chopped
6 oz. fresh baby spinach chopped
15 basil leaves chopped
4 cups milk at room temperature
1/2 cup flour
2 cups Gruyere or swiss cheese grated
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook pasta and drain.  Use bacon grease (or use butter) in medium saucepan.  Add flour and stir to combine.  Add milk and whisk continuously making a white sauce.  Add seasonings.  Continue cooking until it begins to thicken.  Add gruyere and 1/2 cup paremesan.  Combine pasta with spinach, basil and bacon.  Add sauce and combine.  Place in a baking dish and back for 20 minutes.  If desired turn on broiler and crisp top of pasta. 

Bacon Pasta

Ingredients:
1 box elbow macaroni
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Olive oil for frying

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook macaroni til done.  Drain water.  Add a little bit of olive oil to a fry pan and add pasta.  Pan fry pasta til desired crunchiness (usually a few pieces will start to turn brown).  If needed add more olive oil.  Add cooked bacon or bacon bits while frying pasta.  Once pasta is done and bacon is warm (if using bits) turn stove off and add parmesan cheese.  If you want the pasta stronger add additional cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Good served with fresh veggies such as cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, or broccoli. 

Macaroni and Cheese


Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
2 1/4 cups whole milk
8 oz. of macaroni
4 oz. of cheddar cheese
4 oz. of American cheese, cubed

Enlarge image
Directions:

Cook macaroni.  While macaroni is cooking cube American cheese and grate cheddar cheese.Melt butter in a saucepan pan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook until butter and flour have formed a thick paste.  Add the milk and bring to a light boil.  Whisk in cheese until the sauce has thickened.  Add the macaroni and stir until incorporated.

Pesto

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender.  Serve over pasta with grilled chicken.

Spaghetti

Ingredients: 
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped and divided
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 pounds hamburger (at least 90% lean)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 14-oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 carton fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar


DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 of the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add beef and cook until no red is showing. Drain beef slightly. Blend up the remaining onions and red pepper in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Add mixture to the garlic, onions and beef and stir to combine, cooking for another minute. Add tomato paste and spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring until combined. Add tomatoes, beef broth and sugar (and mushrooms, if using). Stir until combined and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar.
NOTE: The sauce will seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour. I’ve let it simmer on the stove for up to three hours before with no problems.

Make Ahead Instructions:
The sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. It also freezes beautifully. My favorite way to thaw/cook the sauce is to throw the heaping frozen mass of sauce in the slow cooker and cook it on low for about 5-6 hours. It thaws and heats up wonderfully well.

From: Mels Kitchen Cafe

Italian Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:
Red Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or a mix of dried oregano and basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
White Sauce:
3 cups milk (not skim, I used 1%)
5 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Lasagna noodles, no boil type
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan.
In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey.

Sautee garlic and onion in olive oil and butter.  If desired puree onion.  Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Then add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and let the sauce sauce simmer for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved ground turkey.

While the red sauce simmers, if using lasagna noodles that need to be boiled, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the noodles for half the time suggested on the box. Once the noodles are cooked, drain, but do not rinse. Add a dab of olive oil to keep them from sticking together. If you are using no-boil noodles, you can skip this step.

Also while the red sauce is cooking, melt the four tablespoons butter, add the flour, stirring constantly to combine.  Add in the milk, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper.  Continue slowly stirring or whisking while the white sauce cooks and thickens quite a bit, about 5-7 minutes.

To begin layering the lasagna, keep in mind that you’ll have three layers of noodles as well as three layers of the sauces and cheese – so plan on splitting all the sauce and cheese piles into thirds so you don’t run out at the end! On the bottom of your lightly greased baking pan, layer three pre-boiled noodles or four no-boil noodles, slightly overlapping the no-boil noodles. Layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges and top with another layer of noodles. Again, layer the red sauce, white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and top with the final layer of noodles. Layer the sauces and cheeses again.
Cover the lasagna with a greased layer of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on oven. Remove the foil and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Make Ahead Instructions:
Follow the recipe, letting the red and white sauce cool to room temperature before assembling. Assemble the lasagna as indicated in the recipe. Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake according to the recipe, adding an additional 5-10 minutes if needed. Alternately, the lasagna can be covered with a double layer of aluminum foil and sealed inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag.  Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen for 1 1/2 hours covered. Uncover and bake for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

From: Mels Kitchen Cafe

Bacon Ham Pasta

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of Cooked diced or shredded Chicken breast
1 cup of diced fried ham
1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon (for the top)
1 diced Roma Tomato ( for the top or can mix in)
5 to 6 stalks of cooked Tender Asparagus for the top
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese and additional for the top
1 box pasta
Sauce:
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken Broth
1 cup Whipping Cream
(You can change this up if you like:  for example:  Use 1/2 cup Whipping Cream, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup broth)
1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
a few sprinkles of Red pepper flakes (opt)
1 Teaspoon white sugar
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
*Sometimes I also squeeze in 1 to 2 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

DIRECTIONS:
Fry bacon until crispy, place on Paper towels and set aside.  Fry pieces of Ham in a small amount of the bacon grease.  Sprinkle a tablespoon of Brown Sugar on top of the ham, and toss until the ham is golden and the Brown sugar has caramelized.  Chop or shred the Chicken Breasts, chop tomato, and chop tender cooked Asparagus. (If you don’t care for Asparagus, you could use Broccoli or any vegetable your family likes, or just leave it out entirely)
Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter.  Add 2 tablespoons flour, seasonings, sugar and whisk together with the butter until bubbly.  Continue whisking, and slowly add the milk, cream and the chicken broth.  Whisk Constantly, so that you don’t get any lumps.  You want your sauce to be nice and smooth.  Keep whisking until the sauce has thickened.  Turn heat to low, and add the grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  Once melted and mixed thorougly, turn your heat to the lowest temperature and cover.  Prepare your pasta until al dente. Drain well.
Plate the pasta, and serve the sauce over the top.  Crumble your bacon on top of the sauce, and also top with Asparagus, tomatoes and more grated Parmesan Cheese.  Delish!

Rigatoni

Ingredients:
1 lb. rigatoni noodles
36 oz. Ragu Sun-dried tomato and basil spaghetti sauce (about a jar and 1/2--I think this kind and flavor is best)
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 zucchini, grated
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
2 c. milk

Directions:
Cook and drain noodles according to package. Grate the zucchini and saute over med-hi heat in a little butter (if you must have meat, this is a good time to saute the beef or sausage too), when
almost cooked, throw in the spinach and pour the spaghetti sauce over the mixture . Cover and let simmer. Make a white sauce by melting the butter into a saucepan, when melted, whisk in flour
and then whisk in milk until smooth. Stir until it thickens a bit.

In a deep 9 x 13 pan, Layer 1/2 the noodles, 1/2 the white sauce (it won't completely cover), 1/2 the spaghetti sauce and 1/2 of both cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 box bow tie pasta
2 heads broccoli, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
fresh Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 cup Girard's Italian Dressing

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Bring medium size pot of water to boil and prepare an ice bath. Drop broccoli and asparagus in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then using a strainer take out vegetables and drop in ice bath, keeping water boiling. Repeat for carrots (cooking for slightly longer) Saute pine nuts in olive oil and salt, being careful not to burn. Rinse all vegetables under hot water. Add to drained pasta (blot pasta with paper towels to remove all excess water.) Add chicken and salad dressing. Garnish with pine nuts, fresh grated Parmesan, and cilantro if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in fridge until ready to serve.

Capatavi with Rose Sauce

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast grilled and shredded
1 cup peas
1 bunch broccoli
1 bag capatavi noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce of choice
1-2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Place spaghetti sauce in saucepan and mix with cream; cream should be pink in color. Cook until heated through. Cook vegetables. Combine pasta, vegetables, chicken and sauce.

Penne Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1/2 orange pepper
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 bottle of sliced green olives (about the same amount as black olives)
2 green onions
Mayo (not miracle whip...trust me!)
1-box of Penne pasta
4-6 chicken breasts (cooked, seasoned, chopped)
Dill seasoning
Beau monde seasoning
Black pepper

Directions:
Line pan with foil, season chicken breasts with plenty of minced onion, salt, & pepper. Cover and bake until juices run clear (about 30-40 minutes)...take foil off last 15 minutes. Cool and chop.

Meanwhile, dice all veggies and keep cold. Boil past al' dente and chill. After everything is cold, add all together and then add mayo and seasonings to taste. Be cautious with beau monde because it is salty. But, if your pasta tastes bland, add more of it...just not too much.

Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews

Dressing and Marinade:
(Slightly adapted)
6 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hot chili sauce
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of marinade in a large zip lock bag, add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Set the remainder of dressing/marinade in a sealed container in the refrigerator so flavors can combine.

Chicken and Noodle Salad:
1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
2 green onions, diced finely
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 orange bell pepper, julienned
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup of snow peas, cut in half
1 cup of mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup of toasted cashews
3/4 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions

Cook the spaghetti per instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Add half of the dressing to the noodles and let it sit for 20-30 minutes (this allows the noodles to become very flavorful). Prepare all the vegetables, set aside. Grill chicken until cooked thoroughly (about 3-4 minutes on each side), let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing into chunks. Add the vegetables, cashews, mandarin oranges, chicken and remainder of dressing to the noodles. Stir until well combined and serve. Enjoy.
From: For the Love of Cooking

Fusilli with Sweet Corn

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups corn
1 lb. dried Fusilli
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbsp. fresh chives
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Add frozen or canned corn. Once water returns to a boil remove corn. Cook pasta in remaining water. Keep corn warm. Add corn, pasta, butter, chives and pepper and mix. Serve immediately.