Linguine with Spring Vegetables

(From Everyday Food, Issue 60, Page 68)
Jeni's variation

Serves 4

course salt, ground pepper
1/2 pound of linguine
1/2 bunch asparagus (tough ends removed, cut into 1 inch lengths)
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, stem ends trimmed then halved
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T. butter

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta 4 minutes SHORT of al dente. Add asparagus, zucchini, and snap peas. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water; drain pasta mixture and set aside.

In the same pot, bring cream and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Toss in pasta mixture and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce (it will thicken as it stands). Season with fresh ground pepper and serve.

Creamy Fusilli with Yellow Squash and Bacon

From Everyday Food (September 2007, page 28)

Course salt/Ground pepper
8 ounces fusilli
4 slices of bacon, chopped
4 medium yellow squash (quartered and sliced)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Asiago cheese plus more for serving

Boil pasta until al dente in salted water

Stuffed Shells

(From Laurie Busch)

16 oz. mozzarella cheese
Large jar of spaghetti sauce
Large container cottage cheese
1 lb. mild sausage
2 eggs
2 T. parsley
1 t. basil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 box jumbo shells

Cook shells according to package instructions

Brown sausage, drain

In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, sausage, half of the cheese

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Fill each shell with cottage cheese mixture. Place in pan.

Cover shells with spaghetti sauce and cover pan with foil. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Sprinkle shells with remaining cheese and serve.

Chinese Chicken Salad

(From Mom)

1 cup Miracle Whip
4 T. soy sauce, divided
1/4 t. Tabasco
1 t. ground ginger
8 oz. Rotini
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 cup red or green bell peppers (or both:)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Saute bell peppers and green onions in 2 T. soy sauce and garlic powder.

Mix Miracle Whip, 2 T. soy sauce, Tabasco and seasonings in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly, refrigerate overnight.

Chicken Spaghetti

(From Diane Hayes)

1 lb. chicken breasts, bone-in
8 oz. thin spaghetti, or any other pasta
1 lb. Velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 can Rotel

Boil chicken, reserving chicken water. Shred chicken.
Cook pasta in chicken water. Drain water to 1/2 inch above pasta.
Reduce heat to medium and add soups and cheese to pasta and water.
Stir until melted. Add Rotel and shredded chicken. Serve.

Chicken Fettucine Alfredo

(Emeril Lagasse, 2004)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Montreal Steak seasoning ("chicken" is out there, but "steak" is better)
1 lb. dried fettucine
6 T. unsalted butter
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish

Cook fettucine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, set over medium-high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the butter-cream mixture and hald of the Parmesan and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and garnish with parsley. Add strips of cooked chicken seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning, if desired. Serve immediately.

Lasagna

(From LaBonne Cuisine, pg. 149)

Spaghetti sauce (recipe below)
1 package Lasagna noodles, boil to soften
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint cottage cheese
16 oz. mozzarella cheese
Fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Mix egg and cottage cheese. Layer ingredients: little bit of sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, sauce, parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Bake, covered 15 minutes at 350.
Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Sauce

(From LaBonne Cuisine, pg. 149)

1) 1/4 cup olive oil
2) 2 cloves minced garlic
3) 1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped
4) 1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 2 stalks)
5) 1 medium onion, chopped

6) 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
7) 2 1/2 t. salt
8) 1/4 t. pepper
9) 1/2 t. dried basil
10) 1 t. dried oregano
11) 1 T. dried parsley

12) 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
13) 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
14) 3/4 cup hot water

Saute ingredients 1-5 until soft over medium-high heat. Add ingredients 6-11 and cook until crumbly. Add 12-14 and simmer on low one hour.