One Pan Caprese Pasta

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 main dish servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups dry pasta
• 1 package of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 5 fresh whole basil leaves
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups fresh, diced Mozzarella (about 8 oz)
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• Chopped basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat a 12 inch skillet or saute pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft.
2. Add dry pasta, sliced tomatoes, fresh whole basil leaves, water, salt and pepper. Stir together to combine.
3. Bring pasta mixture to a boil. Continue to cook pasta over medium heat, stirring often, until pasta is cooked and the liquid is reduced; about ten minutes.
4. Top evenly with mozzarella cubes and cover the pan so the cheese can melt.
5. Sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar and chopped basil for garnish.

Creamy Bow Tie Asparagus Pasta

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. bow tie pasta
• ½ c. (1 cube) butter (the real stuff)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 pint heavy cream
• salt & pepper to taste
• 10-15 spears asparagus, blanched and cut into pieces
• ½ c. bacon, crumbled
• ½ c. toasted pinenuts (or to taste)
• Parsley, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, to taste

Instructions

1. Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do NOT over cook.
2. In wok or heavy skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and saute a minute or so.
3. Add Parmesan Cheese and bouillon cube(s). When the bouillon cube is dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream and salt & pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley & Parmesan cheese and toss together. Serve immediately.

Note: My new favorite pasta

Spaghetti and meatballs

Italian Meatballs:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt*
*If you want, you could substitute all the Italicized ingredients with 3 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning found here.
Gently combine meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) to shape meat into balls and then rolling it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a broiler pan
and broil until the meatballs start to brown–I actually use my toaster oven. Just because I can. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).
Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Olive oil
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of baking soda (to help neutralize the acid)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients and combine well. Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached–about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that’s of medium consistency (my husband, bless him, likes it very thick while I like it a little on the thin side. Whatever will we do??)
Serve over hot spaghetti (shhhhh…I used linguine!), maybe with some breadsticks and some freshly grated Parmesan on top. Serves a lot–like probably 12 regular people or 2 teenage boys.
FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare meatballs as directed, but divide the meatballs among two freezer-safe containers. Prepare sauce through adding all ingredients to the pan, but don’t simmer; rather, divide the sauce among the two containers. Freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, place in slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, although you’ll want to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it’s not burning if you go for the whole 6 hours.

MEATBALLS ITALIAN STYLE

1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated (imported preferred)
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. cooled spaghetti sauce (makes the meatballs moist and soft)

Mix all ingredients well and shape into golf-ball size. Place in a non-stick baking pan or spray pan with pan coating. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Drop in spaghetti sauce and let simmer for 1 hour. Makes about 15.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese

Total Time:

1 hr 10 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

1 hr 0 min

Yield:

2 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
• 2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.
Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Note: I didn't use individual dishes.  I used a 9x9 pan.
 

Chicken and Artichoke Fettuccine

Ingredients:
8 oz fettuccine
2 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup onion chopped
1 cup whipping cream
8 oz artichoke hearts
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 chicken breast cooked and sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain well and set aside.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until cooked through, but not crisp. Add onion and saute for about 2 minutes.
Stir in whipping cream, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, dried basil, salt and pepper. Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until artichokes are tender and sauce is thick, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir chicken into artichoke mixture. heat until warmed through and serve over cooked pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Makes 4 servings

Notes: Original recipe called for 1 lb large fresh shrimp. We don't like sea food so we substitute chicken

Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup diced blanched tomatoes
16 oz raw fettuccine noodles
5 Tbsp butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp corn starch mixed with water as needed
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Grill chicken in saute pan 5 min each side. Cut into strips and set aside. Remove Broccoli stems and steam for 5 minutes. Blanche tomatoes until skin is peeling off. Peel, remove seeds and dice, set aside.
- Cook pasta in boiling water. Drain, rinse with warm water and set aside.
- Prepare the Alfredo sauce in large saute pan. Melt the butter adding the minced garlic. Saute garlic until brown, add both the chk broth and the heavy cream. Reduce heat for several minutes. Next add corn starch and water mixture slowly while stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, and salt/pepper. Combine the fettuccine noodles and the sauce. Return to flame and cook about 1 minutes. Add chicken, broccoli and tomatoes. Heat through.

Notes: Sometimes we grill the chicken on the BBQ. I rarely take the time to blanch the tomatoes...usually just chop them up and throw them in.

Bob's Awesome Lasagna

Prep time: 30 Min
Cook time: 1 hr
Original recipe yields 1 9X13 pan

Ingredients

• 8 ounces lasagna noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) package large curd cottage cheese
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute ground beef, onions, salt and garlic salt until meat is brown. Drain excess fat, add spaghetti sauce to beef mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking pan.
4. Line bottom of pan with three lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of sauce mixture over noodles. Layer 1/3 of the cottage cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella over the cottage cheese. Repeat this layering process until all ingredients are used up.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: We use ground turkey instead of ground beef. I usually cut in half and do a 9x9 pan. My new favorite thing is the no boil Barilla lasagna noodles.

Grilled Chicken with Sesame Noodles

Whisk in small bowl:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 T minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 C soy sauce
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 2 t Asian hot sauce (rooster on front)
• 3 T brown sugar
• 2 T sesame oil

1. After whisking take out 6 T of sauce to marinate 2 chicken breast. Grill chicken and slice.
2. Pour remaining sauce in a blender, add 1/4 C peanut butter and mix together.
3. Cook 1 lb thin Asian noodles (angel hair) and steam Broccoli to mix in.
4. Pour peanut butter sauce over noodles, add slice chicken and Broccoli and toss together.

Notes: This is an all time favorite. Jaxon eats it so well!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Recipe for: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients and Directions:

2 chicken breast cut into thin strips
4oz linguine, cooked
2 tsp Cajun seasonings
2 Tbls butter
1 thinly sliced green onion
½ cup heaving whipping cream
2 Tbls chopped sun dried tomatoes
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in bowl and coat. In large skillet sauté chicken in butter until chicken is done. Reduce heat; add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour over linguine and toss with cheese.

Notes: Everyone LOVED, even Jaxon. Really easy. I like it with more sun dried tomatoes!