Oriental Pasta Salad

by S.Mccullough

1 16oz pkg. Coleslaw mix (this is easier) or1 lb. Fresh cabbage and 3 or 4 fresh carrots (all shredded)

2 bunches green onions (chopped with greens parts)

½ head of broccoli, chopped (I put a whole head in, I like broccoli)

Mix the vegetables together well and refrigerate.

1-cup sunflower seeds (hulled ready to eat no salt)

1 ½ cup of pine nuts (if you like pine nuts)

2 pkgs. Sliced almonds about ¾ cup or more if you like nuts

2 pkgs. Chicken oriental Ramen Noodles (cook according to package directions reserve seasoning for dressing)

Spread seeds, pine nuts, almonds and noodles evenly on a baking tray.  Bake at 350° for 5 to 7 minutes until light brown you should see the oils from the seeds and the noodles browning.

Dressing

1/3 cup sugar

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup white vinegar

2 pkgs. Of seasoning from Ramen noodles

Mix dressing (store in a separate container) and refrigerate until ready to use

Add dressing to salad before serving and mix thoroughly.

Linguini & Clam Sauce

by M. Gilpin

12 cherry stone  or 6 chowder clams  minced or chopped 

1 tsp dried oregano

4 garlic cloves crushed

black or red pepper to taste

3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil                                

1/3 cup of white wine

1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped or 1 tbsp dried     

1 pound or linguine

Boil linguini in salted water according to taste.

Brown garlic and olive oil.  Add dry ingredients, clams let simmer for 10 minutes add wine simmer anther 5 minutes.   Pour over cooked linguini.

Tip: To open clams freeze for two hours.  Take out and let sit for 1/2 hour.  When open chop semi frozen clams, easier with cooking shears.

Sea Scallops over Fettuccini

by R. Matthews

1 lb Fettuccini pasta, cooked

12 sea scallops

1 lb asparagus (steamed)

½ pkg sun dried tomatoes

1 lemon

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp Italian parsley

pinch of salt

½ stick butter

½ cup parmesan cheese

Marinate the scallops with sun dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, parsley and salt for 1 hour.  Remove scallops from marinade and sauté’ in pan on medium high heat for 5 minutes  with butter .  Add marinade to pan with asparagus and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Top off with parmesan cheese. Serve this over pasta.

Lazy Lasagna

by S. Cyr

1 lb. Lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey

1 pkg. Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (optional)

In a large skillet, cook meat or place in large microwavable bowl, break up, cover with waxed paper and microwave for 3 ½- 4 min.

2 eggs

2 cups cottage cheese (I use part skim small curd)

¼ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

Beat eggs with a fork, stir in cheeses until blended and set aside.

To the drained meat (and spinach) add 1 jar (32 oz.) sauce.

10 lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat, uncooked)

In a 9x13 baking dish place 1 ½ cups of the meat/sauce mixture Place 5 noodles on top.  Spread ½ of the cheese mixture over noodles.  Cover with another 1 ½ cups of the sauce.  Place 6 slices of mozzarella cheese (or sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese over that.   Place remaining 5 noodles over cheese, remaining cheese mixture over that and the rest of the sauce.  Cover with plastic wrap and turn back one corner. Microwave at high power for 8 minutes.  Turn dish and microwave for 30 minutes at 50% power, turning dish after 15 minutes.  Top lasagna with 6 more mozzarella slices or sprinkle the rest of the grated mozz. Over the top.  Microwave, uncovered on high power for 1 minute.  Remove from microwave.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 minutes or until set before serving.

Last Minute Lasagna

by K. Doxtader

1- 26 oz jar pasta sauce  or your favorite homemade  sauce

1 -30 oz bag frozen cheese ravioli, unthawed

1- 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1- 8 oz bag shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 13x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and spoon in 1/3 of sauce.  Arrange ravioli over sauce and scatter spinach over them.  Top with half of each cheese.  Layer remaining ravioli, sauce and cheese.  Cover with foil, bake 25 minutes.  Uncover, bake 5-10 minutes or until bubbly.

Lasagna Rolls

 by T. Muck

Bechamel Sauce:

2 tbls unsalted butter

4 tsp all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

1 (15-oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup plus 2 tbls grated parmesan

3 oz. thinly sliced prociutto, chopped

1 large egg, beaten to blend

3/4 tsp salt, plus more for salting water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1  to 2 tbls olive oil

12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2cups marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 oz.)

To make sauce: Melt the butter in a heavey medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the flour and wisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk.  Increase the heat to medium -high.  Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Wisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prociutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling water.  Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to the bite.  Drain.  Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish.  Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at one end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching. Top with bechamel sauce. Repeat with the remaining noddles and ricotta mixture.  Spoon 1 cup of marinara souce over the lasagna rolls.  Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablesppons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Gnocchi (Potato dumpling)

by N. Cousins

4 potatoes

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a ricer or potato masher.

Combine mashed potato, flour and eggs in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "ropes". On a floured surface, cut ropes into half-inch pieces.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in a plate full of gnocchi at a time and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top.  Scoop out with a slotted spoon and reserve in a covered pasta bowl.  Repeat until all gnocchi are cooked. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce. 

Fettuccine All'Alfredo

 by P. Farnsworth

1/3 cup butter                                                

8 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese  

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

14 ounces of store bought fettuccine        

 salt & freshly ground black pepper

dash of nutmeg

 Place the butter and cream in a heavy bottomed pan and cook over high heat for 2 min. Remove from heat. Cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and transfer to the pan with the cream. Add the parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Place over medium/low heat for 1 minutes tossing the pasta constantly. Serve immediately.

Northern Italy-Style Fettuccini Alfredo

by L. Romano

1 lb of fettuccini pasta

1 stick of butter

½ pt of heavy cream

8 oz of ricotta cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Cook pasta drain put in bowl with a ½ sick butter .

In a sauce pan mix ½ stick butter, heavy cream, ricotta and parmesan cheese.  Cook until hot.  Serve immediately over pasta.

Penne a la Vodka

by L. Romano

2/3 cup vodka 

1 tsp crushed red pepper 

Fresh chopped basil                                       

1 onion                                                                           

fresh chopped garlic                                     

1 ½ sticks butter                                              

28 oz can crushed tomatoes  

1 cup heavy cream     

1 pkg. knorr poma

(seasoning mix)  

1 lb. penne pasta, cooked                                   

1 cup parmesan cheese  

Soak vodka and crushed red pepper together and set aside(30-60 minutes).  Sauté basil, onion, garlic and butter together.  Add vodka and pepper and simmer vigorously 5-7 min or until vodka evaporates

Add tomatoes, heavy cream, and seasoning. Pour sauce over pasta. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Meeting Night Meal-Linguine with Goat Cheese

  by C. Dove

1/2 lb of linguine

8 thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto

1-2 bunches of spinach or dandelion                      

8 oz. goat cheese

1/4 cup of fat free half and half

While pasta is cooking, put spinach in frying pan with 1/2 inch water to steam.  Before it is completely steamed, add goat cheese to melt, and prosciutto, and half and half. Let it all mix and melt together.  When pasta is complete, drain and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat.  Combine pasta with sauce and have a great time! (For 2)

Baked Ziti

by  B. Romano

2-28 oz can crushed tomatoes               

2 onions-chopped                                             

6-8 cloves of garlic                                         

1 lb of ground veal                                            

2 lbs of ziti macaroni                                      

¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin

Spices: Little salt, parsley and basil

1 lb of ground beef and veal

16 oz mozzarella cheese

4 oz Romano cheese

Sauce:

Sauté onions, garlic in olive oil until golden.  Add ground beef and veal. When browned add tomato and spices and simmer for 2 hrs.  Boil Macaroni and drain.  In a large baking pan layer the following:

First:      a little sauce on bottom. 

Second:  ziti

Third:     sauce

Fourth:    ricotta and mozzarella

Fifth:      sauce

Top:       with Romano cheese.  

Bake:     at 350 for 45 minutes.

Penne in Garlic Butter w/ Roasted Vegetables and Sun-dried Tomatoes  

 by E. Wayne

Here is a really great recipe with a light spring or summer touch  (although John knows I like it all year round).

1 lb. penne pasta                              

6oz. butter or olive oil                    

2 tbsp finely minced garlic          

1 oz. grated parmesan cheese

1 cup zucchini

1 cup julienne red pepper

1/2 lb asparagus

1 cup mushrooms              

fresh tomatoes                                  

8oz. sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil          

good chicken sausage (recipe called for 5 oz prosciutto but we prefer sausage)

broccoli florets are optional

Cook pasta and drain, and rinse in cold water or drizzle a small amount of olive oil in pasta to prevent sticking.  Set aside.  Roast vegetables (we do this on a roasting tray on the barbecue which enhances their flavor) with the good spiced chicken sausage (also barbecued and amount to your taste) with drizzled olive oil.  In pan, melt butter and sauté garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Combine cooked penne, roasted vegetables, parmesan cheese, and remaining ingredients.  At this point the recipe suggests that you put them in a casserole dish and heat in oven at 325 degrees until hot, approx. 40 minutes but if everything is cooked and hot enough we usually combine all the ingredients and enjoy immediately.  This is really delicious recipe in which you can adjust and enhance to your taste.

Bon Appetite-recipe from the Wayne family.

Danny's Macaroni and Cheese

by D. Zecchini

1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese 

2 lb. Velveeta cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni

1 & 1/2 qts. milk

1/4 lb. butter

bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place 1 & 1/2 qts. of milk in pot at low heat.  When heated place chopped cubes of cheddar and Velveeta cheese into milk.  Add 1/4 lb. of butter to melted cheeses.  At the same time bring sauce pot of water to a boil for elbow macaroni.  Cook elbow macaroni only 1/2 the cooking time on the box then colander water out. Put elbow macaroni in large Pirox pan.  Add melted cheese and mix.  Put in oven 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Then sprinkle bread crumbs on top.  Broil until light brown.

Tuna Noodle Casserole            

 by D. Zecchini

8 oz. Noodles                                                             

2 Cans (7 oz.) tuna well drained                  

1 & 1/2 cup of sour cream (12 oz.)               

3/4 cup milk                                                           

1 can sliced mushrooms, drained                  

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated cheese

4 tsp butter/melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles, returned drained noodles to pot, stir in tuna, sour cream, milk, mushrooms, salt and pepper.  Pour into greased 2 quart casserole.  Mix bread crumbs, cheese and butter.  Sprinkle over casserole.  If desired sprinkle paprika over bread crumbs mixture.  Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly.