Lemon Pasta Salad

adapted from NoTakeOut

2 lemons
¼ cup canola oil
1 heaping Tablespoon dried basil
8 ounces fresh Parmesan
1 pound favorite pasta

Bring a salted pot of water to boil on the stove; add pasta and stir.  While pasta is cooking, zest the lemons into a large bowl.  Add the oil, basil and juice of one lemon.  Grate the Parmesan into the bowl.  When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving a bit of pasta water if desired.  Add the pasta to the bowl and toss thoroughly to coat.  Enjoy with French bread and some sliced bell peppers if desired.

Pasta with Meatballs

adapted from Our Best Bites

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
3 strips lean bacon (not maple or brown sugar), finely chopped
 ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
 ¼ cup plain bread crumbs 2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. water (just use the tomato paste can to measure the water)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pasta noodles of your choice

Preheat the oven to 450º and line a baking sheet with a Silpat liner or aluminum foil. In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Set aside and allow to cool. Combine the remaining meatball ingredients and then add the bacon. Shape scant tablespoons into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown.

While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until it's fragrant. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer until the meatballs are done. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and serve over hot pasta. Makes 8 servings.

Veggie Pasta Salad

3 cups tricolor rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (NOT the kind in the green can)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumbers
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
½ cup sliced black olives
½ cup Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients.

Teriyaki Noodles

I found this recipe on sisterscafe.blogspot.com (one of my favorites!), and am just enamored of these noodles! I'm currently eating them cold, straight out of the fridge. Yes, they're supposed to go on top of a decked-out spinach salad, but I truly see no need. Well, unless you're looking for an actual meal, I suppose! As much as I love them, I think there's too much oil and am going to decrease it substantially next time (and there WILL be a next time!). I'll put my estimate/s in parentheses after the ingredient.

1 cup vegetable oil (I'd do as little as 1/2 a cup)
2/3 cup white wine vinegar (or almost 2/3 cup white vinegar + about 1 Tablespoon sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce (or make your own with 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup white vinegar and about 4 Tablespoons sugar - bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly - take your 2/3 cup from there)
5 Tablespoons sugar (yes, this recipe has a LOT of sugar if you make it yourself)

Cook your favorite shaped pasta according to package directions; drain and cool while whisking dressing. Marinate cooked pasta in dressing for at least one hour in the fridge. Then eat straight out of the bag.

If you're so inclined, assemble a spinach salad using mandarin oranges, craisins, chopped bell peppers, peanuts or cashews, and toasted sesame seeds - also add in some shredded chicken if you'd like. Top with these noodles. Yum yum!

Bacon and Tomato Presto Pasta

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups penne pasta, cooked

Combine all ingredients except pasta in a large saucepan; heat through until bubbly. Stir in pasta and serve.

Gabby's Alfredo

this recipe is from an old friend at BYU.

12 ounces pasta (any kind you like)
1/2 cup butter
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
lots of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Prepare the pasta, following package directions, but just to al dente. Drain well then keep covered. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When sizzling, add cream, cheese, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a light boil, then add drained pasta and continue to cook, tossing lightly, until well-combined.

Serves 6.

Can also add grilled chicken or shrimp.

Pesto Chicken with Pasta

adapted from Campbell's

3 cups uncooked pasta (your choice - used shaped)
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked in a crockpot and shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup milk

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Combine soup, pesto and milk in saucepot over medium heat. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken; combine until heated. Toss with pasta in large bowl.

Serves 4.

Thai Chicken Fettuccine Salad

1 cup salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups cooked fettuccine
2 cups cooked & shredded chicken
salad greens
chopped red pepper

Mix salsa, peanut butter, honey, orange juice, soy and ginger in skillet. Heat through.

Add fettuccine and chicken. Toss until evenly coated. Serve on salad greens, sprinkled with red pepper.

Serves 4.

Broccoli and Pasta Salad

Adapted from Atlanta Cooknotes.

1 bunch broccoli
8 ounces ziti or rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, optional

Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Steam about ten minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Heat olive oil, butter, garlic and red pepper. Toss broccoli in the oil mixture, then pour over cooked and drained pasta. Toss mixture with tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

* Can also add a few cooked, shredded chicken breasts to this if desired.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

I think this came from Campbell's a loooong time ago.

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 cups shaped pasts
½ cup pesto
½ cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Cook pasta according to package directions. In large skillet, combine pesto, milk and soup - heat until boiling. Add pasta and chicken; stir to coat. Serve.

Pasta Salad with Lemon & Asparagus

This is delicious! Got it from Darcy. Thanks!

16 ounces penne pasta
2 pounds asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese pieces
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Salt & Pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions and add asparagus during the last 3-1/2 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and asparagus and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the Parmesan, oil, lemon juice and zest, plus salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.

Serves 8.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

adapted slightly from kraftfoods.com

1 pound ground beef
2 cups chopped green peppers
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic
26 ounces spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 cup water
1/4 cup Italian dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown meat, drain. Place in large skillet.

Add peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, water, spaghetti sauce and dressing; bring to a boil. Stir in noodles; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover.

Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

from Kraft

1 pound ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 cup water
¼ cup Italian dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles*, broken into bite-sized pieces
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef, then drain and rinse if desired. Return to pan. Add peppers, garlic, spaghettic sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Add noodles; stir. Cover. Cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta cheese until combined, then sprinkle with mozzarella.

*If not using oven-ready noodles, increase water to 2 cups and cooking time to 30 minutes.

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls

12 Lasagna noodles, cooked and cooled
1 jar spaghetti sauce, divided

Filling:
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
1/8 tsp pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided (1½ cup for filling, ½ cup on top)

Pour half of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Mix together all ingredients for the filling. Lay noodles flat and spread filling mixture on noodles. Roll up like a sleeping bag and lay in pan. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 30-40 minutes.

Easy Spaghetti

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of tomato soup
1 pound ground beef, browned
chili powder, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
spaghetti noodles, cooked

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook until heated through, then serve over noodles.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

~from the book Lemon Tart

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan (not Teflon-coated) and simmer on low until melted and mixed, stirring continually (about 10 minutes). Whisk until smooth before serving over pasta. Can be refrigerated and used again if reheated on low heat. (Remember to whisk again!)

Serves 4.

*Half-and-half or evaporated milk can be used for some or all of cream to reduce fat, but the consistency won’t be as rich or as thick.

Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound thin spaghetti
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups sour cream
½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste if desired
grated Parmesan cheese
Flat leaf parsley, chopped
Extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cook spaghetti until al dente. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat. Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.) When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken

3 cups shredded or cubed Lemon Garlic Chicken
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) package tube pasta (I used rigatoni)
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded


In a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir chicken into cooked pasta, along with the cream, parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Ham & Fettuccine

½ pound mushrooms
¼ cup butter
½ pound cooked ham, julienned
1 pound zucchini, julienne
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup butter, cut into bits
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (12-ounce) box fettuccine
½ cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese


Sauté mushrooms in ¼ cup butter over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add ham, zucchini, cream, ½ cup butter, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Cook fettuccine until al dente; drain. Add to ham-vegetable mixture, combining well. Serve on heated platter, garnished with parsley, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

SERVES: 6

Baked Spaghetti

Mix these ingredients together and place in a 9x13 baking dish:
12 oz angel hair pasta, cooked
1 egg
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoon chopped basil

Mix these together and place on top of the pasta.
1 lb hamburger, cooked
1 (13 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, save ½ C for the top
1 jar pasta sauce, mixed with pinches of garlic, brown sugar and Italian seasoning

Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on sauce. Bake at 350 for about 35 min or until the cheese starts to bubble.