Pumpkin Alfredo

Don't be afraid of the word pumpkin.  It's not overpowering at all.

Tannon said this tastes like "a fancy restaurant meal".  I agree, it tasted like it should have been served at Macaroni Grill, or something.  I dare say this may be my favorite meal I've ever made.

P.S. I'm just now noticing it calls for 1/2 batch of Alfredo sauce, instead of 1 full batch.  No wonder it tasted so good.

Recipe from Our Best Bites.

Pasta with Pumpkin Alfredo

1 Package Cheese Ravioli
1/2 batch Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
1/2 T real butter
1/4 C Finely minced onion
1/2 C canned pumpkin
2 T Chicken broth
1T chopped fresh sage (1t dried leaves)
1/2 T fresh thyme (1/2 t dried leaves)

Follow instructions on pasta to cook. In a separate sauce pan melt butter on medium heat. When melted, add onion. Make sure your onion is really finely diced. Since you have a nice smooth sauce, you don’t want big chunks of onion, you just want little bits.

Saute until soft. Since they’re small it should only take a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth and herbs. 

Use a spatula to deglaze the pan a bit and get any cooked bits of onion off the bottom. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, and cook until heated through. 

Pasta Salad

I've never been much of a pasta salad person, but this is one that I actually really like. I love that it's so quick & easy. It's a great summer meal. Or you can omit the chicken and make it a side for a BBQ.

Mix dressing in blender and refrigerate night before.

Dressing:

1 cup sugar
2 cup canola oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard

Cook:

1 pkg bow tie noodles
1 pkg colored spiral noodles

Add:

2 to 3 cut-up cooked chicken breasts {seasoned}
1/2 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled
Broccoli
Chopped red onion
1 pkg frozen baby peas or edamame

Add dressing & serve.

*Omit chicken to make it vegetarian

Pasta and Feta Cheese Casserole

Ted and I are currently on a "eat less red meat" (among other things) kick, and I found this recipe here, used fat free, milk and yogurt, and it still was sooo creamy and comforting. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound shell pasta
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 - 3 fresh green chillies or jalapeños
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I didnt have. so I used 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 12 oz Feta cheese, crumbled (I didnt quite use it all)
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and havled
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water to al denteaccording to package instructions. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large saucepan. When it is hot, add the onion, garlic and peppers. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Next, add the flour and cook for a few minutes more.
• Add the milk and yogurt, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, along with the Feta cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the olives, fresh herbs and oregano. Stir to combine and transfer the mixture to a 9 × 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan over the top of the casserole. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the casserole is hot and the top is browned and bubbling.

Chicken and Pine Nuts

2 tsp. olive oil

½ c. pine nuts

1 bottle of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, cut into bite-size pieces

1 c. water

2 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp pepper

a light sprinkle of red chili flakes

½ tsp dried basil leaves

½ tsp dried thyme, crushed

Angel hair pasta

Lightly brown the pine nuts in a fry pan in the olive oil, stirring constantly.  When lightly brown, place pine nuts on a paper towel and set aside. 

3-4 boneless chicken breasts, grilled, heavily seasoned with garlic salt and pepper and cut into bite size pieces.

Put sun-dried tomatoes and oil, water, garlic and spices in a fry pan.  Bring to a boil and allow it to cook down a bit.

Put angel hair on to boil.  Cook until tender. 

Mix pasta, sauce and pine nuts together and serve immediately while warm.

Spaghetti Pie

This is so so so yummy! Especially with sausage!

* 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked and still warm

* 2 tbsp. butter
* 1 well beaten egg
* 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 c. cottage cheese
* 1 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
* 2-3 cups Bolognese sauce (recipe to follow)

Bolognese Sauce: (This recipe makes a lot of sauce and is absolutely delicious. You will only need about a fourth of the sauce for the spaghetti pie, so plan on freezing the extra to use later for lasagna, sloppy joes, spaghetti or by itself!)

* 2 lbs. Hot Italian Sausage (I used mild)
* 2 lbs. ground beef (from freezer)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 lg. yellow onion, diced (from freezer)
* 1 green pepper, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* 2 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
* 1 bay leaf
* 3 T. dried oregano
* 2 T. dried basil
* 2 tsp. salt
* 1 tsp. pepper
* 1 cup dry red wine (optional)
* 2 cans tomato paste (6 oz. each)
* 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

-Remove sausage from casing. Place in pan with 1/4 cup water and crumble with spoon while browning. -When cooked, drain in colander and rinse with very hot water (this washes the extra grease off); set aside.
-Brown ground beef, drain, rinse as above, and set aside.
-Heat olive oil in dutch oven. Saute celery, onion, and pepper until tender. Add sausage, beef, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered for an hour. Add wine, tomato paste and cinnamon. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until dinner time. You will use 2-3 cups of the sauce for the Spaghetti Pie and freeze the rest in dated gallon freezer bags.

Spaghetti Pie:
Combine hot cooked spaghetti with butter until butter is melted. Add egg and Parmesan cheese. Place in pie dish and form a "crust" with a well in the center. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti in pie dish. Cover with Bolognese sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°F or until bubbly. Cut into slices and serve.
***Note: I just realized as I was copying this recipe down that I completely forgot to add the tomato paste and cinnamon to the sauce!!! Oops! It was still very delicious!!!

Aflredo Sauce/ Baked Ziti

I use this alfredo sauce alone or in baked ziti.

½ cup Butter
2-4 oz. Cream Cheese (depending how much of a cream cheese taste you want)
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
¾ tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
1 cup Parmesan Cheese

In saucepan, melt butter. Add cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk constantly until it boils. Bring to a boil. Stir every few minutes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Take from heat and stir in cheese. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.




Baked Ziti:

Boil the ziti according to directions. Drain. Put the pasta in a 9x13 pan. Pour the alfredo sauce above over the ziti. Cook the meat of your choice (Hamburger, Sausage, etc...). Mix it with jarred or homemade spaghetti sauce (We prefer Tomato and Basil Classico). Pour the meat sauce over the alfredo sauce. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Tuxedo Pasta

2 cups uncooked bow-tie pasta

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 medium zucchini, sliced

1 ½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms

3 Tablespoons butter, divided

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons chicken broth

¾ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 TB dried Basil

2 TB sun dried tomato pesto

1 clove garlic

1 jar sweet red pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, sauté the chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper, and garlic in 2 TB butter for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add lemon juice and chicken broth. Reduce heat; cook and stir until heated through. Mix together with Parmesan and Pesto.