Gnocchi with Sage-Butter

1 package potato gnocchi
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi pasta, and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown. Stir in the sage, salt and pepper for a few seconds, then add the cooked gnocchi. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Garnish with remaining Parmesean cheese.

Chicken Carbonara

From Foodnetwork
I found this recipe when I had some extra roast chicken. I didn't have a lot of the ingredients so I made several substitutions and it was great! I am sure it would be even better with everything.

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped (I used bacon)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups whipping cream (I used milk)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used dry)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I used dry)
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (Had to leave these out)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel (All I had was lemon juice)

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and
garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.

Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Recipe from foodnetwork.com

1 pound rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound assorted mushrooms, (such as cremini, shiitake and button), cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (CONFESSION: I used cream cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper (make sure you taste it to see if they are well seasoned. It will make a big difference). Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Linguine Carbonara

2/3 pound linguine
3 minced garlic cloves
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs-beaten with 1 tablespoon milk and 2 tablespoon pasta cooking water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp. makes it pretty spicy)
1 cup Kirkland Crumbled Bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon parsley-chopped (optional)
freshly ground pepper-to taste

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve a little of the cooking water for the egg mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic and peas, and cook over very low heat. Stir in the red pepper. Next, add the cooked pasta to the pot, and stir to combine. Add the bacon crumbles and the egg mixture and toss. Turn the heat off and add the cheese, parsley, and black pepper. Serve.

Tomato Pasta

Butter, for greasing dish
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound small pasta (macaroni)
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 very ripe, extra-large or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices


Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

In a food processor, blend together the crushed tomatoes and garlic. Pour into a medium bowl and add the uncooked pasta, 1/3 cup olive oil, oregano, basil, parsley salt, and pepper. Toss until all the ingredients are coated.

Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with tomato slices. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining tomato slices in an overlapping layer on top of the pasta mixture, making sure the mixture is completely covered. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the tomatoes are slightly crispy and the pasta is cooked, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Parmesan-Herb Pasta

1 lb spaghetti, cooked with 1 teaspoon salt in water
1/4 cup margarine
2 teaspoons parsley
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Melt margarine over medium heat and add herbs. Pour over pasta to coat. Add parmesan cheese.

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo/Guiltless Alfredo

8 oz. penne or bowtie pasta
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce (recipe follows)
2 chicken breasts, marinated in Italian dressing for a few hours, grilled and chopped (about 1 1/2 c. chopped chicken)
6 oz. (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped
1 14-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 c. chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, prepare Guiltless Alfredo sauce. When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 c. mozzarella. Season to taste.

Transfer mixture to an 8x8" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.


Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk (not skim)
1/3 C (3 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender.Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thick (it should look as thick as a normal alfredo sauce) remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing.

Manicotti

8 manicotti shells
1/2 pound ground turkey (or beef)
1 clove garlic
1 cup cottage cheese, drained
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Spaghetti sauce
oregano
Parmesan cheese

Brown ground turkey and garlic together. Remove from heat and add cottage cheese, mozzarella, salt and mayo. Fill manicotti shells with about 1/4 cup filling. Place in baking dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with oregano and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake about 10 more minutes.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound ground beef
1 8 ounce carton sour cream
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups hot noodles
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil

In a mixing bowl stir together flour and sour cream. Stir in water, bouillon, pepper, Worcestershire, and basil.

In a large skillet cook ground beef, onions and garlic. Add mushrooms toward the end of cooking time. Drain fat.

Stir flour mixture into skillet. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.

Tomato-Mac Skillet

1/2 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup macaroni
1/2 cup water
1 4 ounce can chili peppers
2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 to 1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

In a large skillet cook meat and onions till meat is brown and onions are tender. Drain off fat.

Stir in tomato sauce undrained tomatoes, uncooked macaroni, water, chili peppers, chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or till macaroni is tender, stirring often. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and heat about 2 minutes more or till cheese is melted. Serves 6.

Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

12 dried jumbo pasta shells
1 beaten egg
1 12-ounce container cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 14 ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Snipped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Cool shells in a single layer on a piece of greased foil.

For filling, stir together egg, cottage cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley, and oregano. Spoon scant 1/4 cup filling into each cooked shell. Arrange filled shells in a 2-quart square baking dish.

Combine undrained tomatoes and tomato sauce; pour over shells in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more till heated through. Sprinkle with additional snipped parsley. Serves 4.

Broccoli and Bow Ties

kosher salt
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
1/2 lb. farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
In the same water, cook the bow tie pasta according to the pkg. directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.
Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, cook the chicken in a little oil until no longer pink. Heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over med-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 tsp. salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with pine nuts and cheese, if using, and serve.
(To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry saute pan over med-low heat and cook, tossing often, for 5 minutes, until light brown.)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz. elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
8 oz grated cheddar cheese (sometimes I double this)
1/4 cup more milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni. Make white sauce by melting butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat add flour. Stir over heat till bubbly. Add milk and stir over heat until it has consistency of thick cream. Remove from heat, add cheese. Stir over heat till it melts completely. Add extra 1/4 cup milk. Add salt, garlic salt and pepper. Pour cheese sauce on macaroni and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Macaroni with a twist
Replace half the cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack cheese. Add several drops of hot pepper sauce when you add the other spices.

Roasted Red Pepper Rotini Caesar

1 package rotini
1 jar of roasted red peppers, sliced
4 cups of fresh baby spinach or frozen spinach, chard, sugar peas, basil leaves, arugula, pesto, artichoke hearts, broccoli florets
1 cup of your favorite creamy Caesar dressing or creamy peppercorn Parmesan dressing
Shredded parmesan cheese to taste
Cracked pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat a large sauté pan with a light film of oil, toss in red peppers and spinach; heat until warmed (about 1 minute). In the large sauté pan, toss cooked pasta with spinach and peppers. Add Caesar dressing, stirring frequently until heated through (approximately 3-5 minutes). Top pasta with desired amount of parmesan cheese, cracked pepper and salt.