Penne with Tuna and Mozzarella

1 lb. penne
1 tbsp. capers in brine or salt
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 7 oz. can of tuna, drained
5 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2/3 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced

Cook pasta according to pkg. Rinse the capers well in water. Chop them with the garlic. Combine with the parsley and the tuna. Stir in the oil, and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Drain the pasta when it is just al dente. Tip it into a large frying pan. Add tuna sauce and the diced mozzarella, and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the cheese just begins to melt. Serve at once.

Presto Pesto

2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 c. basil leaves
1/2 minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. parmesan

In blender or food processor, blend pine nuts, mint, basil, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper until all ingredients are smooth. The pesto should be thick. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Fold parmesan cheese into the pesto. Makes 1 1/4 cups.

Creamy Ranch chicken

This really has a lot of flavor.  Just be careful that the sauce doesn't get too thick. If it looks like it is and there won't be enough, add extra milk. If you use evaporated milk for this, be sure to add some water as well.

6 slices bacon (I just use the picnic bacon from Sam's Club)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. dry ranch salad dressing
1 1/4 c. milk
3 c. noodles
1 tbsp. shredded parmesan

Cook noodles according to pkg. Drain.
Cook bacon until crisp. Discard all but 2 tbsp. drippings. (I just use butter here instead).  In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing over the chicken in the skillet, stir well. Stir in milk. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon. Serve over noodles. Serves 4

Chicken and Pasta with Asiago Cream

This may just stop your heart.  But it is so delicious!  I get my asiago at Sam's Club in a big wedge.  For some reason I think it tastes better when I grate it myself. So I buy it like that rather than buying a tub of it already grated.

1 16 oz. pkg. bowtie pasta
2 tbsp. veggie oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed.
2 1/4 c. heavy cream, divided
1/4 cube chicken boulion, crumbled
3/4 c. grated asiago
1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c. chopped prosciutto (ham works too)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh garlic
1/4 c. sliced mushrooms

Cook pasta according to pkg. Drain.

Heat 2 tbsp. veggie oil in skillet over med. high. Cook and stir chicken, until no longer pink in center and juices run clear. Set aside

In med. saucepan, bring 2 c.cream to simmer, stirring often. Whisk in boulion and cheese until well blended and bouillon has dissoved completely. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tbsp. water, and whisk into mixture. cook and stir 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and set aside.
Met butter in med. skillet over med high heat. Stir in prosciutto, garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, reduce heat and cook until chicken is heated through. Return sauce to stove and add remaining 1/4 c. cream.  Heath through.
To serve, toss sauce with pasta.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I am pretty liberal with the oregano and the garlic powder in this one.

1/3 c. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 2/3 c. whipping cream
1/3 c. skim milk
1/4 tsp. oregeno
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper
1/3 c. shredded parmesan (NOT the stuff in a can)
10 oz. fettuccine

In sauce pan melt butter. Then add flour ane mix until smooth. Mix in cream, milk, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer until sauce is decreased by half and thickened. Stir in pamesan until melted. Pour sauce over cooked fettuccine and toss. Toss in mushrooms if desired. Serves 5

Rainbow Rotini

This calls for chicken, but I usually just use ground beef and it works well. I also usually double this.

6 oz. dried multicolored rotini
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans (I have used both kidney and black and both work as well.), drained
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 plum tomatoes (I leave these out)
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper

Cook pasta according to pkg., drain. Meanwhile, saute chicken or beef in oil in large skillet. (If using beef leave out the oil) over medium heat fro 12 minutes or until done. Cut into small pieces and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to skillet, stirring for about 4 minutes or until tender. Mix in chicken and remaining ingredients; heat through. Remove from stove and gently stir in pasta.

Toddler Pasta

1 c. acini de pepe (frog eye) pasta
1/3 c. finely diced carrots
1/3 c. finely diced red peppers
1/3 c. frozen baby peas
1/3 c. finely chopped broccoli
1/3 c. whole kernel corn
1 tbsp. olive oil
dash pepper

Cook pasta in lighy salted boiling water for 7 minutes. Add veggies and cook for 5 minutes. Drain. Mix in oil and pepper. Makes 6 toddler size servings.

Spaghetti with fresh pesto

1 14 to 16 oz. pkg. dried spaghetti
12 oz. green beans, trimmed
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c. packed fresh spinach
3/4 c. packed fresh basil
1/2 c. toasted almonds
1/2 c. grated pamesan cheese
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
Fresh lemon juice
green onions, chopped.

Cut one third of the green beans in 2 inch pieces; set aside. Cook spaghetti with 1 tbsp of salt added to water, according to pkg directions; add cut beans the last 5 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 1/2 c. pasta cooking water. Drain pasta; keep warm.
For pesto, in skillet cook onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of oil until softened. Add whole beans. Cook, covered, 5-7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
In food processor, add bean mixture, spinach, basil, almonds, cheese and seasoning. Cover. Pulse to coarslely chop. With processor running, add 1/2 cup of olive oil in thin stream until nearly smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with spaghetti mixture, adding enough pasta water to thin. Sprinkle with chopped eggs and green onions. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Creamy Spinach Pasta with Tomatoes

2 c. uncooked penne
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 c. chicken broth
1 (9 oz. ) pkg. cream cheese
1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions. In a large skillet, heat half the chicken broth and add chicken cubes, turning pieces with a slotted spatula for 5-7 minutes until chicken is no longer pink inside. Add cream cheese, spinach, remaining chicken broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until cream cheese has melted. Add cherry tomato halves and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes are soft. Toss the drained pasta with chicken and veggie mix. If desired sprinkle with Parmesan.  If using leftover chicken, cook the pasta as directed. Reduce the chicken broth to about 1 cup and mix all ingredients together until cream cheese is melted and ingredients are incorporated well.

*Personally, I think it needs at least 3 cloves of garlic.  Also, it tastes better if you use real shredded Parmesan and mix it into the sauce before you toss it over the pasta.

Pasta E Fagioli

Lindsay Walden
4 oz bacon (4 slices)
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (I leave these out)
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes (I like petite diced)
2 (15.5-oz) cans cannelloni beans, rinsed (I like great northern beans better)
3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 ½ cups water
Salt
8 oz small-shaped pasta (I like orzo best)
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Pepper
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) (I actually prefer it without the Parmesan)

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan (preserving drippings) & crumble. Into the drippings, stir the onion, garlic, oregano & red pepper flakes (if using). Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes w/ their juice, beans, broth, water, crumbled bacon & 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer & cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the pasta & cook until just slightly underdone. Off the heat, stir in the parsley & season w/ salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls w/ grated Parmesan (if desired).

Orecchiette Alla Rustica

Lindsay Walden
1 lb orecchiette (tiny disk-shape) pasta

Sauce
2 TBS olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 can (15 oz) cannelloni beans, not drained
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
½ cup each chopped fresh parsley and diced bottled roasted red pepper
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup grated Romano cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water as package directs. Meanwhile heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté just until golden. Immediately add beans with their liquid, the olives, about ½ the parsley and all the roasted pepper. Stir to mix, and then cook until hot.
Transfer ½ cup cooking water from pot to skillet. Drain pasta; add to skillet along with remaining parsley and black pepper. Toss to mix and coat. Remove to serving bowl or plates; sprinkle with cheese.

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

Lindsay Walden
6 oz (2 cups) uncooked penne (medium pasta tubes)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon oil
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian-style dice tomatoes, undrained
1 small zucchini, cut into thin 1 ½-inch-long strips
2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives

Cook penne to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, in shallow bowl, combine cheese and bread crumbs; mix well. Coat chicken breast halves with cheese mixture. Heat oil in large skillet over medium0high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned.
Stir in tomatoes and zucchini. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 12-15 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear; stirring and turning chicken occasionally. Serve chicken mixture with penne. Sprinkle with olives.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Lindsay Walden
1 red pepper, cut into strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into strips
3 cups broccoli florets
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced
12 basil leaves, chopped
1 pound bowtie pasta—cooked and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
4 TBS grated parmesan cheese

Cook red peppers, carrots, and broccoli until done. Drain, rinse and set aside. Combine milk and ricotta cheese until smooth. Set aside—heat olive oil in large pan. Add garlic and cook stirring constantly at about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms. Add other vegetables and heat through. Stir in cheese sauce and basil. Add cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper, and heat through. Stir constantly—sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.