Pasta & Broccoli
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh pasta shells
1 pound Medium dry shells -- cooked
1/4 cup Olive oil
12 ounces Broccoli florets -- steamed
2 teaspoons Garlic -- minced
1/4 cup Green onions -- sliced thin
1 cup Fresh mushrooms -- sliced
2 teaspoons parsley
Parmesan -- grated
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Butter or margarine
1 quart Milk
2 teaspoons Chicken bouillon cubes -- mashed
Directions:
SAUCE-Melt butter in a 2-qt saucepan over medium heat. Stir
in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and bouillon and
stir vigorously with a wire whip until mixture barely comes
to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, whipping
frequently. Keep warm. Drain broccoli and divide in half.
Chop 1/2 of florets into 1/4" pieces. Reserve. Heat a large
saute pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add all
the broccoli, garlic, green onions and mushrooms to the
saute pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until
mushrooms begin to turn golden. Add the sauteed veggies and
parsley to the warm sauce and stir well. Serve over hot pasta
with Parmesan.
Yield: 6 Servings
Creamy Bow Ties with Sausage & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 pound Sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon Dried red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Diced onions
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 can Italian plum tomatoes, Drained and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cup Whipping cream
1/2 teaspoons Salt
12 ounce Bow tie pasta
3 tablespoons Minced fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Fresh parsley
Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage
and pepper flakes. Cook until sausage is no longer pink,
stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic to
skillet and cook until onion is tender and sausage is light
brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes,
cream and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about
4 minutes. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water
until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally
to prevent sticking. Drain. Serve on a plate or flat bowl with
cream mixture. Top with fresh grated parmesan and parelsy.
Yield: 4 Servings
Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients:
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cups milk
8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and cayenne pepper
1/4 cup slivered reconstitituted sundried tomatoes
3/4 pound penne, cook to the al dente stage, drained and cooled
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 4 Tbsp. of the butter in a non-reactive saucepan.
When bubbly, whisk in flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring
every now and then.
Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking on occasion for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in grated cheese.
Stir vigorously just until cheese has melted.
Then whisk in heavy cream to adjust the texture and season to taste with
salt and cayenne pepper.
In a mixing bowl combine sauce with sun dried tomatoes and drained macaroni and adjust seasoning.
Transfer mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and dot with remaining 4 Tbsp. of butter.
Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before
serving.
Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 (48-oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
1 package pepperoni, sliced and cut in half
1 large box thin spaghetti, cooked
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic finely chopped)
2 1/2 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. basil
Salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
2 pounds mozzarella cheese
Preparation:
Brown meat and chopped onion in large pan, breaking meat into small pieces. Cook until well done; drain well.
Add spaghetti sauce, pepperoni pieces, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, red pepper, salt and pepper. Simmer until spices are blended and sauce is hot (about 30 minutes).
In deep casserole dish, layer the cooked spaghetti, sauce and mozzarella cheese, (ending with a layer of cheese on top of the casserole). Make 2 thick layers (or 3 or 4 thin layers - your preference).
Bake at 350 degrees until casserole is hot and cheese is melted and browned on top - (approximately 45 minutes).
As an alternative to using a casserole dish, use a 6 quart electric roaster with a lid, that can be left on "low heat" to keep the casserole hot - or you can use a slow cooker.