Mexican Lasagna

Recipe courtesy of MrsD12*3*04

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked chicken (rotissere chicken chopped) 
• 1 tablespoon oil 
• 1 cup chopped onion or equivalent in onion powder 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or the equivalent in garlic powder (that's what I use)
• 1 (29 ounce) can red enchilada sauce 
• 1 (15 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can beans of choice (I use red kidney beans- you can use a 2nd can if you are bean fans)
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (preferably fresh) 
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 
• 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded 
• 12 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375'.

Rinse can of beans under cool water (it helps remove some of the salt)

In a large skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until tender (or skip this step if you are using the powers and put in with enchilada sauce). Stir in enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, add chicken and rinsed beans and stir to combine. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese and cilantro.

Spread 3/4 cup chicken mixture into a sprayed 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. dollop ricotta mixture and cheese, Layer with three noodles, repeat chicken/bean mixture and 1 cup shredded cheese. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and shredded cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Quick Tips: I buy a roasted chicken already cooked and cut it up (a la Costco or the like). I also buy a pkg of Mexican Blend Cheese that already has two cups of the Cheddar and Jack.

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

Recipe courtesy of Kristen8/16/03

Makes 8 servings POINTS value per serving: 6

Ingredients
3/4 pound mild turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
One 28-oz can diced tomatoes
One 10-oz package frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 oz dried whole wheat ziti, cooked according to the package's
instructions and drained
6 oz fat-free Mozzarella cheese, grated*
Note* If the cheese is too soft to grate easily, allow it to "harden"
in the freezer for 15 minutes, and then proceed.

Instructions

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. 
• Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes. 
• Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. 
• Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often. 
• Stir in the pasta and half the grated cheese. Spread evenly into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese. 
• Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Angel Hair Pasta with Plum Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Recipe courtesy of linda98ny

4 servings: 5pts per serving.

6oz angel hair pasta
1Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed (I add a little more but we
like garlic)
6 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain,
set aside and keep warm.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil.  Add the
garlic and sauté until fragrant about 30 sec.  Add the
tomatoes and cook, stirring as needed, until softened,
about 5 min.  Stir in the basil, salt and pepper: cook
until the tomatoes are very soft, about 5 min.  Pour
over the pasta; toss with vinegar. Serve topped with
the parmesan. 

Per serving: 268 calories, 8g total fat, 3mg saturated
fat, 8mg cholesterol, 504 mg sodium, 39g total
carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 11g protein, 170mg calcium

The Penne Salad

Recipe courtesy of Mrs.Katie&Art

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, cubed
3 diced tomatoes
12 oz box of Penne Pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 cup of Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic or Family Recipe Italian Dressing (I used the Italian dressing)
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Prepare pasta accordingly. Cook cubed chicken breasts in oil until cooked and no longer pink. Dice tomatoes and put aside. In a small pan toast pine nuts a few minutes until light brown. When penne pasta is ready, place in bowl with tomatoes and chicken. Toss with dressing until coated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts. Serve & enjoy.

Pasta All'Olio e Aglio

Recipe courtesy of melbride2005

This is super easy and quick...and you can sauté chicken or shrimp pretty quickly and add it to the all'olio.

Serves 4

1 lb. pasta (any shape or kind you like)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves (more if you like)...chopped

Crushed red pepper

Fresh parsley, chopped

Boil pasta until it is al dente.  Drain.  Heat pan and add oil after it's heated.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper.  At this point you can add chicken or shrimp if you want to...otherwise, add pasta to the pan BEFORE the garlic gets overcooked.  Toss together for less than a minute with the parsley.

Top with grated cheese and serve!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

Recipe courtesy of smallbutfiesty

Serves 6

• 1 pound spaghetti
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 rinsed anchovies, (optional)
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, and their juice
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions; drain; return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and anchovies, if desired, mashing them with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes.
3. Add whole tomatoes and their juice, breaking up tomatoes with hands. Stir in capers and olives. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Toss with pasta; season with salt and pepper.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Roasted Peppers

Recipe courtesy of wrysmyguy

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6.

• 2 medium red bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
• 2 medium yellow bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat broiler. Place peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from heat until charred, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; steam 2 to 3 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off pepper skins, reserving any juices in bowl. Thinly slice peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; return to bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers; cook until heated through.
4. Transfer sausage mixture to bowl; add pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Lemon Spaghetti

Recipe courtesy of Sweetpeonies07

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

The lemon juice, grated Parmesan, and basil can be adjusted to taste.  The basil doesn't have to be fresh either.  

Thin Spaghetti With Chunky Meat Sauce

Recipe courtesy of lilah073005

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage (I use turkey sausage)

1-6 oz. can tomato paste

1-28 oz Italian plum tomatoes in juice, crushed

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1-16 oz. package Ronzoni thin spaghetti, cooked

Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil until tender.  Brown beef and sausage (remove sausage from casing and mix in with raw beef to blend while cooking) in same pan.  Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, sugar and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer uncovered 20 minutes.  Serve sauce over hot pasta.  Makes 8 servings.

Stuffed Shells with Meat

Recipe courtesy of aalliep

Ingredients: 

Box of jumbo shells

Ground beef or turkey

White Cooking wine or sherry

Celery

1 Half of onion

1 clove of garlic

Tomato sauce

Boil shells until soft. 

Chop celery, onion & garlic

In separate pan, brown meat or turkey.  When draining, leave a bit of the juice from the meat.  Mix celery and garlic into meat.  Pour cooking wine over the mixture.  I modify the amount of wine to my specific tastes, usually 1/4 of a cup, sometimes less.

Coat bottom of baking pan with tomato sauce.  Stuff the shells with the meat mixture and place in pan.  When completed, pour remaining sauce over the shells.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Stuffed Shells

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

1 pkg. (12 oz.) jumbo pasta shells (I get mine from an Italian import
store because the grocery ones are too small, IMO.)
2 cups (15 oz.) Ricotta Cheese
3 cups (12 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided 
1/2 cup (2 oz.) Grated Parmesan Cheese 
2 eggs 
salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1- 2 TBSP. parsley
26 oz. marinara sauce, divided

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.
2.  Combine Ricotta cheese, 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese,
eggs, parsley, salt and pepper in large bowl; mix well.
3.  Pour 1 cup pasta sauce into 13x9-inch baking dish. Spoon cheese
mixture into shells (use glad bag/snip off corner/easier to squirt into
shells); arrange in dish. Top with remaining sauce.
4.  Cover with foil and bake in preheated 350°F oven 40 minutes or until
heated through. Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese and bake,
uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese in melted.

Spaghetti alla Scarola

Recipe courtesy of wrysmyguy

1/3 cups Raisins

6 TBSP Olive Oil (extra virgin)

3 cloves Garlic – chopped

10 oz Escarole – shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ¼ Lb. Spaghetti

2 oz. Pignoli

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in lukewarm water to cover for about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts salted water to boil.

While the water is heating, in a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the escarole, stir to coat well with the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, Cover the pan and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, sot 10 minutes.

Meanwhile ass the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until barely al dente.

Drain the pasta and transfer it to the frying pan containing the escarole. Add the raisins and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Arrange the pasta on a pre-warmed platter and sprinkle with the Pignoli. Serve immediately.

Rigatoni with Cannellini Beans, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Recipe courtesy melbride2005

6 servings

1 pound rigatoni
6 hot sausages, cut into small chunks (you can use sweet sausage, turkey sausage...whatever you like)
chopped garlic (use as much as you like)
1 bunch broccoli rabe
1 can cannellini beans, drained
chicken broth
white wine
a little bit of olive oil
crushed red pepper

boil water for pasta. In the meantime, steam the broccoli rabe and set aside.

Put a little oil in a deep frying pan, add garlic and crushed red pepper, then add the sausage. Cook on medium flame. When it's done browning, add the broccoli rabe, stir it up, and add just enough white wine and chicken broth to keep it all moist (not too much).

Once the liquid reduces, add the beans. You can add salt at this point also if you need it.

Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Add the sausage mixture to the pot and mix into the pasta. Toss some grated Romano cheese in and serve immediately.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Penne w/ Arugula & Pancetta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

3 oz. Pancetta, thinly sliced*
1& 3/4 c. tomato sauce
1 c. Heavy Cream
3 oz. Arugula
1 lb. Penne
(*Pancetta can be substituted w/ Prosciutto)

In saucepan on medium heat, combine the pancetta & tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and allow it to simmer 3-4 minutes. Pour in cream and blend it. Simmer 1 minute. Add arugula and cook until it is about wilted (approx. 1 minute.) Add salt/ pepper (white pepper looks prettier) to taste.

Make the penne al dente separately and combine.

Pasta with Roasted Peppers, Peas and Cream

Recipe courtesy of zorahangels

• 2 medium red bell peppers
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto ham
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound pasta
• 2 1/3 cups very sweet fresh peas, lightly steamed
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The peppers can be roasted a day in advance, and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The sauce cooks in almost no time and is best made at the last minute.

Roasting the Peppers: Roast the red peppers by searing and blistering them all over on an outdoor grill or on a sheet of aluminum foil on an oven rack set about 3-4 inches below the preheated broiler. Keep turning until their surfaces are well seared. Then tuck them into a plastic or paper bag, seal and let stand about 30 minutes. Slip off the skins, core, and seed. Cut into ½ to ¾ -inch dice.

Making the sauce: In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the prosciutto 30 seconds. Add the peppers and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the cream and set aside off the heat.

Cooking the pasta and assembling the dish: Boil pasta to desired firmness. Drain. Quickly bring the cream sauce to a boil, stirring in the peas. Immediately add the hot pasta, and toss over high heat until the sauce has totally covered the pasta. Add the cheese and toss to coat and penetrate. Add salt to taste, and lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

Recipe courtesy of wrysmyguy

Serves 4-6

½ oz. dried Porcini Mushrooms
½ cup water
1 ¼ cups sweet white wine (Gewürztraminer. Riesling
and White Zinfandel work great)
½ small carrot peeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces
½ small onion chopped into rough ½ inch pieces
3 oz. Pancetta cut into 1-inch pieces
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp sugar
1 ¼ lb meatloaf mix (do not use only ground beef)
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Ground black pepper to taste
¼ tsp salt
1 lb. pasta
Fresh Parmesan cheese grated for serving

Rinse the mushrooms in a small strainer under cool
running water; drain. Add to ½ cup water, cover and
microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let stand until the
mushrooms soften (5 minutes). Mince the mushrooms and
reserve the liquid for later.

Bring the wine to a simmer in a 10 inch non-stick
skillet (this works better than a Dutch oven) over
medium heat; reduce the heart to low and simmer until
the wine is reduced to 2 Tbsp. (about 20 minutes). Set
aside.

While the wine is reducing, pulse the carrots in a
food processor until broken down into rough ¼ inch
pieces. Add the onion until the vegetables are broken
down into 1/8 inch pieces. Transfer to a small bowl.
Process the mushrooms until well ground (about 15
seconds). Add the mushrooms to the carrot/onion
mixture. Process the pancetta until the pieces are
about ¼ inch each. Transfer to a small bowl. Process
the tomatoes with their juice until chopped fine.

Heat and butter the skillet you used to reduce the
wine and add the pancetta. Cook until well browned
(about 2 minutes). Add the carrot, onion and mushrooms
and continue to cook, stirring frequently for another
4 minutes. Add the garlic and sugar and cook for
another 230 seconds. Add the meatloaf mix. Breaking it
into 1 inch pieces. After 1 minute add the milk and
continue to break up the pieces of meat into ½ inch
pieces. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and
continue to cook and break up the meat until most of
the liquid has evaporates (about 20 minutes). Stir in
the tomato paste and cook another 1 minute. Add the
tomatoes, mushroom water, ¼ tsp salt, and pepper and
cook for another 12-15 minutes. Stir in the wine and
cook for another 5 minutes. Serve over pasta and
garnish with cheese.

Pasta Carbonara

Recipe courtesy of wrysmyguy

1 pound linguine or spaghetti

6 strips bacon, diced

4 egg yolks

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer to a paper towel and reserve the drippings.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Still whisking constantly, add 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Working quickly, add the drained pasta and Parmesan to the yolk mixture and toss to combine. Add the salt, pepper, parsley, and bacon. Serve immediately. (The heat of the pasta cooks the eggs, but not thoroughly.)

Tip: Use a pair of clean scissors or kitchen shears, not a knife, to dice the bacon. It's much quicker and makes less of a mess.

Neapolitan Spaghetti Pie

Recipe courtesy of wrysmyguy

• 6 large eggs lightly beaten
• ¼-cup heavy cream
• 1 lb (aprox 4 cups) whole milk mozzarella
• 12 oz hot Soppressata sausage cut into ¼-inch ice
• 1 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 6 cups cooked spaghetti (1 ¼ pounds dried pasta)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Brush the bottom and the sides of a t10 inch round (3-inch deep) cake pan with light olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine everything but the spaghetti in a large bowl and stir well. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes, Remove the foil and bake for 20 more minutes or until the top is lightly browned and crisp.

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the pie. Invert to unmold, discarding the parchment paper. Place a plate or platter on top of the pie and invert again. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Lasagna

Recipe courtesy of Lishie0729

16 pieces (about 16 oz.) Lasagna, uncooked
28 oz Meat Sauce (I use homemade)
2 lb. ricotta cheese
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Lay flat on foil to cool.

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.
Spread about a portion of the meat sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Arrange 4 pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce, overlapping edges. Spread one-third cheese mixture over pasta; spread with another portion of the meat sauce.
Repeat layers TWICE, beginning and ending with pasta. Top with remaining meat sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 the mozzarella cheese and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil; bake about 10 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.