Friday, November 13, 2009

Pumpkin Butter

Thank you, Libby's!

15 oz can pumpkin
2/3 c packed brown sugar
¼ c honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over med-high heat; reduce heat to low. Stirring frequently, cook on low 20-25 minutes, until thickened. Refrigerate in an air-tight container up to two months.

Makes 2 cups

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Kielbasa Pasta Salad

Pretty good! I'm sure having kielbasa will make my husband happy. :)

1 lb. kielbasa, sliced
1 lb. pasta (I used macaroni)
1 lb. frozen mixed veggies, thawed (I used a mixed bag of broccoli, green beans, carrots, red pepper, red beans, white beans, and garbanzo beans)
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix, prepared

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute kielbasa in a skillet until browned to your liking. Combine cooked pasta, kielbasa and thawed veggies in a large bowl. Pour entire bottle of prepared dressing over top. Toss well. Refrigerate.

Rachael Ray's Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

I changed it just a tad. My daughter had the sauce as soup, because she's been asking for pumpkin soup for a while now. I had it over pasta.

1 lb pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 c chicken broth
15 oz pumpkin puree
1/2 c cream
hot sauce (I didn't use this)
freshly ground nutmeg
2 pinches cinnamon
*Salt & pepper
8 sage leaves, thinly sliced
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Boil pasta. Saute shallots and garlic in oil over medium heat. Stir in broth, then pumpkin until smooth, then cream, then spices. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5-6 minutes to let sauce thicken a little. Stir in sage. Toss sauce with pasta. Top with a generous amount of cheese.

*I very, very rarely salt my food, but I felt like this needed a generous dose of salt to bring the flavors out.

My daughter LOVED her soup, so I kept the sauce separate, so she can have more soup tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Pasta Bake

Yum!

8 oz. bow tie pasta
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced green pepper
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
2 tsp dried basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
26 oz spaghetti sauce
1 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta according to package directions. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Drain pasta. Pour half of pasta into baking dish. Top with half of each remaining ingredient. Repeat layers. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

*Pepperoni is delicious in this!