Spaghetti Squash Casserole

 Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash 

1 lb lean Ground Beef

1 Onion, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

16 oz diced tomatoes (canned)

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

1 Cup Marinara Sauce

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Cook the squash, cut in half, until al dente. Using a forrk, remove the spaghetti squash strands and set aside. In a medium saucepan, cook ground beef, onion and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, pasta sauce and seasoning. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in squash. Place in a casserole dish, top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly

Sausage Pasta

SAUSAGE PASTA

1 pkg. pasta (I grew up on fettuccine noodles- my kids like rotini)
Olive Oil
1 onion
1 Pkg Jimmy Dean Regular bulk sausage
1 can Tomato paste (6 oz)
1 cup beef stock (I use ‘Better Than Bouillon’)
salt and pepper
1 cup light cream (You can use heavy cream, or mix heavy cream with milk. My grocery store sells light cream but some don’t)

Heat oil in pan.  Add chopped onion.  Cook over low heat until onion is soft. (more often than not I skip the onion). Add sausage meat and fry until done. Drain fat (optional).  Add tomato paste and 1 cup of beef stock.  Add salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 mins. Add cream. Stir. Try not to drink entire pot of sauce.

Cook pasta according to directions and drain.  Return to pan and combine with sauce.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. (optional)

Makes for great leftovers so I usually double recipe!

Creamy Penne Pasta

1 # Penne Pasta
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1-2 Tsp. Dried or Fresh Basil
3 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
3/4 c. Whipping Cream
3/4 c. Parmesan Cheese

Options:  add cooked chicken breasts, mushrooms,  zucchini

Cook pasta, drain, and put to the side.  Heat skillet, add oil, garlic, then tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper, then cream.  No more cooking--put in the grated cheese and mix with the pasta and serve immediately.

Marilyn's Chicken Pasta Salad

Cook according to package directions:
12 oz. Bowtie Pasta
12 oz. Spiral Colored Pasta
2 Cups Chopped Celery
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 Cup Cashews
1 Cup Red Grapes, halved
20 oz. can Pinapple tidbits
4-6 Chicken Breasts, boiled and cubed

Dressing Mixture:
1 Bottle Kraft Coleslaw Dressing
1 Cup Mayonnaise
Lemon Juice to taste
Salt & Pepper

Lemon Tomato Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz. Rotini Pasta (or your choice), uncooked

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 - 14.5 oz can Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained

1 - 8 oz. can Hunt's Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup soft cream cheese spread

1 - .75 oz. package fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1/4 tsp. shredded lemon peel

Cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

Stir together undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and lemon juice in same skillet; bring to a boil. Add cream cheese; stir until cream cheese is melted completely. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to thicken slightly.

Drain pasta. Add to sauce in skillet; stir to coat. Stir in chicken, basil and lemon peel. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

Variation: Sprinkle garlic salt on the chicken while it's cooking if you don't want to use actual cloves. Add dried basil when combining the tomatoes, sauce, and lemon juice if you don't have fresh basil.

Recipe from hunts.com

Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked

2 Tbsp. Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing (I use enough to cover the bottom of the skillet.)

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces

1 1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

4 oz. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), cubed

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until *chicken is done, stirring frequently. Add broth and Neufchatel; cook 1 min. or until Neufchatel is melted, stirring constantly. Stir in Parmesan.

DRAIN pasta; return to pan. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

*You can also bake the chicken sprinkled with Italian seasoning in the oven according to package directions, then add to vegetable mixture.

Notes:

For a creamier pasta you can once and a half the chicken broth (1 1/2 cups) and cheeses (6 oz. Neufchatel and a heaping 1/4 cup parmesan).

OUT BACK MAC 'N CHEESE

12 oz. Rigatoni Pasta
1/2 lb. Velveeta Cheese, Cubed
3 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Paprika
1-1/2 c. Milk

Prepare rigatoni. Drain and set aside. In a large saucepan on medium heat melt butter and add flour, stirring constantly. Mixture should thicken. When flour thickens add milk, salt, paprika, and cheese cubes. Stirring constantly until the sauce thickens but yet is smooth. The cheese sauce should resemble an extra thick cream. If too thick add a little more milk. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir gently.

Bowtie Chicken Salad

2 packages of bowtie pasta
2 -3 chicken breasts
1 - 2 lbs red grapes
celery, finely sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar

Cook bowtie pasta, per manufacturer's directions. drain, rinse and set aside. Cook chicken breasts and cut/shred into bite-sized pieces. Add to pasta. Cut grapes into halves and add to bowl. slice celery and add to bowl as well. In a separate bowl combine mayonnaise, milk and sugar. Pour over pasta and mix to combine. Refrigerate before serving.

Supercalifragilistic

(sorry about the name...it's what my cousin calls it!)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 t salt
2 t sugar
1 c grated cheese
2 cloves garlic
1-8oz pkg noodles
1 c sour cream
1-3 oz cream cheese
6 green onion tops

Cook meat. Drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic and simmer 5 to 10 min. Cook noodles and drain. While still hot add sour cream, cream cheese and green onions. Blend with fork into greased casserole dish. Layer meat sauce, noodles sprinkle cheese and repeat.

350°/35 min.