Picnic Pasta Salad

This was my daughter's request for our picnic with her friend from school.  It's fresh and pretty!  It can be eaten as a side dish, or as a main dish, as we did today.  Feel free to add chopped grilled chicken.  It's also good with well-rinsed black beans tossed in!

Picnic Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta (any shape will do)
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 c frozen sweet corn
1 handful black olives, halved
Salad dressing  (I like Italian, my daughter prefers Ranch.)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, and rinse under cold water.  Drain well.
Mix vegetables and pasta together, then drizzle dressing over top.  Stir to combine.  Chill at least two hours.

*Before serving, stir the pasta salad.  If the pasta isn't wet enough, add more dressing.
*I like to add a handful or two of raisins or dried cranberries as well.  Trust me, it's yummy!

Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo

Straight from my Italian friend.  This Alfredo is rich, creamy, and delicious!  Do not skimp on the cheese.  You want really good quality cheese for this dish, as it's the star of the show!  Add grilled chicken or shrimp, if desired.  I usually serve steamed broccoli and garlic bread on the side.

Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo


Serves 6-8

1/2 c butter
2/3 c light cream (I use half and half)
1 1/2 c freshly grated Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. fettuccine
Salt and pepper
Pasta water

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, melt butter over low heat.  Gradually add in cream, stirring well.  When pasta is nearly cooked, slowly add cheese into butter and cream, stirring continually until smooth.  Remove from heat.

Drain pasta, reserving 2/3-3/4 cup of the water.  Do not rinse pasta.

Return sauce to low heat, adding in pasta water until the sauce reaches desired consistency.  (You want it thin enough to be "saucy", but you don't want it thin and runny.)  Toss sauce and pasta together in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Beef Stroganoff

My brother-in-law's family recipe.  SO good!

1-1/2 lbs. sirloin, cut into thin strips
1/4 c flour
Salt & Pepper
1/4 c butter
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1/2 c chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can beef broth
1 c sour cream
1 pkg. egg noodles

Dust steak strips with flour, salt and pepper.  Brown in butter.  Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  Brown lightly.  Stir in broth.  Cover.  Cook 1-2 hours, until tender, stirring occasionally.  Be sure that it stays at a simmer, do not let boil.  Stir in sour cream.  Cook 5 minutes more over low heat.  Serve over hot cooked egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Orzo Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Jen.  I like to eat it for lunch with a little fresh lemon juice squeezed on top.


Orzo Salad 

4 cups chicken or veg. broth
1½ cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black olives
1½ cups grape tomatoes, halved
¾ cup finely chopped red onion
2 c fresh spinach, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
¾ c crumbled Feta Cheese
About ¾ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely. Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, spinach, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

For the Vinaigrette: 
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

I don't think I've ever put the mint in this - Whatever fresh herbs you have will work (basil is really good, parsley). Add whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. Be sure to use a "good" quality red wine vinegar or else it will be to vinegary.


This post links to The Happy Housewife's Lemon Recipe post.

Steak Gorgonzola Pasta

This recipe is adapted from a cookbook that I got at IKEA. It is restaurant-worthy!

2 tbsp chopped walnuts
7 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 c whipping cream
8 oz spaghetti (or tagliatelle or linguine)
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
8 oz boneless steak (we used filet mignon)

Grill the steak to desired doneness. Meanwhile...

Combine whipping cream and 2/3 of the cheese in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Toss pasta, sauce and parsley together. Slice steak, and place over pasta. Top with walnuts and remaining cheese.

Enjoy! It's delicious!

Tuna Casserole

Just the way my Mama made it!

1 can tuna, drained
1 c uncooked macaroni
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 c milk
1 tbsp prepared mustard
Potato chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Combine cream cheese, soup, milk and mustard. Stir in tuna and cooked macaroni. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Crumble potato chips over casserole, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.

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.

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!

Creamy chicken & noodles

Adapted from Once a Month Mom.

4 cups shredded cooked chicken
12 oz egg noddles
26 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 ladle-full water
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Black pepper

Boil egg noodles; drain. In a stock pan, heat chicken, soup, water and seasonings over medium heat, until hot. Stir in noodles. Enjoy!

Pasta with Pink Sauce

As I said earlier, I'm on day seven of a cold. I've been exhausted. Twice I put something in the slow cooker, once I went through the drive-thru, and the rest of the meals have been pulled from the freezer. Tonight was the first night that I've cooked in a week, if you can even call this that. ;) The groceries that I bought last weekend are still sitting on the counter. In that pile, is my good deal of last week. The store up the street had Classico sauce 2/$5 PLUS you got two boxes of pasta for free if you bought two sauces. So, this meal (which will feed us twice) was only $2.50 total! Can't wait to tell hubby that his dinner was only $1.25! :)

1 lb. pasta (I used bow-tie)
24 oz. meat-less spaghetti sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

Boil pasta in salted water. Meanwhile, heat sauce in a sauce pan. When warm (but not yet hot), stir in heavy cream. Heat through, without boiling. Toss pasta and sauce together, and enjoy!

*Usually I'd make French bread in the bread machine during naptime, so that it was hot and ready for dinner, but I'm just not feeling it today. Maybe next time.

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

One of the things that I always ask my Mom to make for me when we're visiting is her spaghetti sauce. If my parents are visiting us, she makes extra and leaves it for me in the freezer. Another reason to love my Mom! We're having the last batch of frozen sauce from their summer visit for dinner tonight.

1.5-2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
garlic
2 bay leaves
oregano (1-2 tsp)
Salt & pepper, to taste
sugar(1 tsp)
1 large can tomato sauce
1 medium sized can tomato paste


Brown beef, onion and garlic together. Drain, then return to pan. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and all other ingredients. When sauce begins to bubble, lower heat. Cover, simmer at least 30 minutes. Adjust oregano, sugar, salt & pepper as needed. Tastes best after simmering all day!

Baked Ziti

This is the BEST baked ziti I've ever had! I got the recipe from a friend, who got it from Cooks Illustrated. It was really, REALLY good. It wasn't dried out on top and mushy in the middle like all of the other baked ziti I've had. I added 1/2 lb. pork sausage that I browned with a generous dose of Italian Seasoning. We will be having this again. Often.

Baked Ziti

1 pound 1% cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pound ziti or penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese together in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, about 7 minutes (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain pasta and leave in colander. Do not wash the large pot.


2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, basil and oregano, and sugar; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.


3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream and transfer mixture to the now-empty large pot the pasta cooked in. Set the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato mixture, and half of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.


4. Transfer mixture to a 9X13 baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes.


5. Remove foil and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Hamburger Casserole, Lemon Chicken & Pasta

The hamburger casserole reminded me of Hamburger Helper, but not as salty, and my husband said that it's better. :) I'm not a Hamburger Helper fan. We had the lemon chicken the night before last, and we all really liked it.

Hamburger Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
Salt & pepper
1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 c celery, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can tomato sauce
1 package Kraft Macaroni & Cheese mix
Shredded cheddar

Brown beef with onion and celery. Drain; return to skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste, soup and tomato sauce. Simmer. Cook pasta; drain. Add pasta and cheese mix to meat mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.


Lemon Chicken and Pasta
adapted from $5 dinners

3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
2 pinches salt & pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. penne pasta

Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pour over chicken in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook pasta. Slice or dice chicken, and toss with hot pasta and remaining marinade.

*I added 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, and couple of tbsp of milk to the marinade before I mixed it in with the chicken and pasta.

Crockpot Pasta & Chicken Sausage

Yay for easy dinners!

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 box penne pasta
1 lb. chicken & asiago sausage (or whatever you prefer)

Pour about one cup of the spaghetti sauce into a crockpot. Pour pasta over sauce. Slice sausage over pasta. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over sausage, then fill empty jar 1/2 full, and pour over crockpot. Cook on high 1 hour, then low 1-3 hours, until done. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Two new recipes

Quick Tuna Noodle Salad

7 oz penne pasta
6 oz can tuna in water, drained
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
3 oz mozzarella cheese, diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse under cold water. Pour into a medium bowl. Add tomatoes and cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Add tuna to pasta mixture. With a whisk, mix lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over tuna mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Bacon Breakfast Casserole

8 slices bacon
5 slices wheat bread, torn into pieces
2 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 eggs
2 c milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon, drain, and crumble. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer bread, 1 c cheese, and bacon pieces. Beat eggs, milk, salt & pepper together. Pour egg mixture over layers. Top with remaining 1c cheese. Bake 30 minutes, until lightly browned, edges are bubbly, and center is set.

Fast & Fresh Pasta

Thanks to Sara Snow!

1 lb. spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
28 oz. diced tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
2-3 tbsp capers
1 lb. fresh spinach, stems removed, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil and capers. Simmer 10 minutes. Add chopped spinach; cook until wilted. Toss with cooked pasta.

Serves 4.