ISO your favorite spaghetti or pasta recipes

[jadenegro]

I've been craving spaghetti and angel hair pasta (I'm in my first trimester and not much sounds good right now, so I'm rolling with it). I have a pretty limited repertoire of pasta recipes. I bought groceries to make lemon spaghetti from Giada and Orzo with Roasted Vegetables from Barefoot Contessa. Those are pretty much it for my go to recipes. Are there other favorites out there? I'd love to get some other ideas and recommendations. TIA

[cookieee]

Oh Jadenegro, I am so happy for you. Will Mateo be having a brother or sister, or are you not telling just yet?

I have 3 large binders full of pasta recipes. Will check them out tomorrow for you.

[amarante]

This recipe is surprising good for something with bottled sauce.



Italian Turkey Meatballs
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Recipe By: Southern Living
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

Meatballs
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 lbs. ground turkey
1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
3/4 cup minced onion
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
Marinara Sauce
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 26 oz jar Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup water
1 8 oz jar tomato sauce with basil, garlic & oregano
Hot cooked spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine sausage, ground turkey, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl until well blended.

2. Gently shape meat mixture into 30 (1 1/2-inch) balls.

3. Bring Marinara Sauce to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat, and simmer. Add 10 meatballs, and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until meatballs are done. Remove meatballs from sauce, and keep warm; repeat procedure with remaining meatballs.

4. Return all cooked meatballs to sauce, reduce heat to low, and cook 10 more minutes. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti, and, if desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Notes:

This recipe goes with Italian Meatballs

Yield: Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

Preparation
Stir together 1 cup beef broth; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 1/2 cup water; 1 (26-oz.) jar marinara sauce; and 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

[amarante]

Simple Italian-style Meat Sauce
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Recipe By: Cooks Illustrated
Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:

4 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and broken into rough pieces
1 large slice high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 lb. 85 percent lean ground beef (see note and related content)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 cup liquid reserved
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano (see note)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

1. Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about eight 1-second pulses, scraping down side of bowl as needed; transfer to medium bowl. Add bread, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to now-empty food processor and process until paste forms, about eight 1-second pulses. Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined, about six 1-second pulses.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant and tomato paste starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup reserved tomato liquid and 2 teaspoons fresh oregano (if using dried, add full amount), scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add meat mixture and cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until beef loses its raw color, 2 to 4 minutes, making sure that meat does not brown.

3. Stir in crushed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining teaspoon fresh oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

Except for ground round (which tasters found spongy and bland), this recipe will work with most types of ground beef, as long as it is 85 percent lean. (Eighty percent lean beef will turn the sauce greasy; 90 percent will make it fibrous.) Use high-quality crushed tomatoes; our favorite brands are Tuttorosso, Muir Glen Organic, and Hunt’s Organic. If using dried oregano, add the entire amount with the canned tomato liquid in step 2. The sauce makes enough for nearly 2 pounds of pasta. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

[amarante]

Neapolitan-style Ragù
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Recipe By:
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless pork butt, in 1 piece
2 teaspoons salt, divided, more to taste
Pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
1 lb. onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup chopped pancetta
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups dry red wine
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1/2 lb. Italian sausage, crumbled
1 lb. dried pasta, such as rigatoni, penne or fusilli
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more on the side

Directions:

1. Season the pork all over with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

2. In a food processor, chop together parsley, onions, garlic, pancetta and prosciutto to make a very coarse paste.

3. Heat the olive oil in a casserole over medium-low heat. Add the seasoning paste and another teaspoon of salt and cook until the paste is fragrant and no more liquid appears when it is stirred, about 7 minutes.

4. Add the pork roast, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, turning every 15 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned and the onions have begun to color, about 1 hour.

5. Add the red wine, loosely cover and continue cooking until the wine reduces to a thick sauce, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If, after 1 hour and 15 minutes, the wine has not reduced sufficiently, remove the roast to a plate, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the sauce until it thickens.

6. Over low heat, stir in the tomato paste, 2 or 3 tablespoons at a time, stirring in each addition until it mixes into the sauce and darkens to a brick color. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, return the roast to the pan if previously removed, and cover and continue to cook, turning the meat every 30 minutes and stirring the sauce until the meat is tender enough to be easily pierced with a meat fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If the sauce dries out too much and the meat begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir in a tablespoon or two of water.

7. Remove the roast to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve. Crumble the Italian sausage into the sauce and cook until the sauce is extremely dark, unctuous, shiny and thick, stirring occasionally, about another hour. (The dish can be prepared to this point and refrigerated overnight.)

8. Cook the pasta in plenty of rapidly boiling, heavily salted water. Warm the sauce if it has been refrigerated.

9. When the pasta is cooked but still slightly chewy, drain it and toss it in a bowl with the butter. Spoon over half of the sauce and toss just to coat lightly. Transfer to a serving bowl and spoon more sauce over top. Sprinkle over the Parmigiano-Reggiano and pass more on the side.

Notes:

Note: The pork butt cooked in this recipe is not part of the final dish; it flavors the sauce as it cooks and is to be served separately.

Nutritional Information:

Each of 8 servings, not including the pork butt: 472 calories; 17 grams protein; 56 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 16 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 24 mg. cholesterol; 7 grams sugar; 980 mg. sodium.

[amarante]

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese
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Recipe By: Food & Wine
Serving Size: 4

Summary:

Meaty mushrooms are enhanced by sweet caramelized onions and just enough tangy melted goat cheese in this delicious year-round pasta.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 lbs. ziti
3 ounces soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

n a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.


In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.


In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

[vbak]

Here's one that I found on Pinterest. The picture looks delicious.

http://annies-eats.com/2008/01/12/to...asta-al-forno/

This is a good one. I have made this and cut the recipe in half, and it still made a ton.

http://realmomkitchen.com/1505/baked...chicken-penne/


I want to try this one with modifications-make my own sauce and make smaller meat balls.

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/rec...lls_and_sauce/

Another Pinterest recipe. I have made this several time using my own sauce. Good.

http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/11/...casserole.html

[RebelYell18]

Congrats!!

This popped into my head when I saw your request. Seems pretty quick and in season! [Notes are hers.]

Angel Hair with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Skinnytaste.com

Servings: 4 • Size: divide in 4 equal servings • Old Points: 5 • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 254.4 • Fat: 5.7 g • Protein: 7.4 g • Carb: 51.0 g • Fiber: 7.8 g • Sugar: 2.6

2 zucchini, julienne or cut into ribbons
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
4 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
8 oz angel hair pasta, I used Ronzoni Smart Taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken or (vegetable broth for vegetarian)


In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to instructions.

While pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, heat pan on medium-high flame, add oil when pan is hot. Add garlic and shallots to the pan and saute about 1 minute. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, add tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, chicken broth and adjust salt and pepper. Stir for another minute. Remove from flame.

Drain pasta when done reserving some of the water and and toss the pasta well with zucchini. Add pasta water if needed and serve with grated Parmesan (optional).

[cookieee]

I've been craving spaghetti and angel hair pasta (I'm in my first trimester and not much sounds good right now, so I'm rolling with it). I have a pretty limited repertoire of pasta recipes. I bought groceries to make lemon spaghetti from Giada and Orzo with Roasted Vegetables from Barefoot Contessa. Those are pretty much it for my go to recipes. Are there other favorites out there? I'd love to get some other ideas and recommendations. TIA

me again. Question - Does it have to be just spaghetti and angel hair or will any pasta do?

[LeaHamm]

Would Chesapeake Bay Shrimp on Angel Hair Pasta be too spicy?
I also have an uncooked fresh tomato sauce to serve over angel hair pasta. They both come under the category of under 15-minute meals.

[charley]

My faves are uncooked fresh sauces and this one using cherry tomatoes ... only takes 10 minutes. I'm making it tonight.

http://whats4dinnertonite.wordpress....gold-tomatoes/

[fldivegirl]

This is one of my favorites in the summer. It is good as a pasta salad too (made with mini bow-ties)


Southwestern Tomato Pasta

3 small ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 ounces angel hair pasta, uncooked
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted.

Peel tomatoes; coarsely chop over a bowl reserving any juices. Combine tomatoes, reserved juice, olive oil and next 7 ingredients.
Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. (I usually let it rest for several hours)
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Serve tomato mixture over pasta; top with goat cheese and pine nuts.
Yield: 2 servings

[acginkc]

I'm going in a totally different direction here, but when I was pregnant the acidity of tomato sauces turned me off so I had to stick more to oil or cream based sauces.

The simplest incarnation was a parmesan sauce. Slightly like an alfredo, without the work. I have made more traditional cream sauces, but sometimes after a day of work and caring for my DS1 that was too much work. So I would cook and drain the angel hair pasta (DHs favorite), stir in 1/4c-1/2c parmesan cheese. Let it melt a bit then thin it out with a bit of milk or cream.

I'll also make this sauce when making chicken parmesan then top the whole dish with a bit of marinara. The 2 sauces combine and it's super yummy.

Congrats on the baby.

[Bawstinn]

This one is quick and easy. I sub spinach for the arugula:


Penne with Chicken, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes, and Feta Bon Appétit | March 2003


Yield: Makes 4 servings


3 12-ounce bags cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded roasted chicken breasts without skin (from purchased roast chicken)
8 ounces penne pasta
6 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)


Preheat oven to 475°F. Mix cherry tomatoes, oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes are soft and beginning to brown in spots, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture, including any juices, from sheet to large skillet. Add chicken to skillet and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Ladle out 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta; return to pot.

Add tomato mixture, arugula, and reserved 1/4 cup pasta cooking water to pasta; toss over medium heat just until arugula begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

[jadenegro]

Oooh, thanks everyone! There is a lot of variety here and these sound great. I really need to expand and this is a great start

me again. Question - Does it have to be just spaghetti and angel hair or will any pasta do?

Cookieee - I won't find out the sex until September at least. We haven't even scheduled the appt yet for that. It seems like a long wait. Any type of pasta will do - really just looking for the one you enjoy the most and would recommend because when I look at recipes right now it's hard to imagine it being good enough to cook. I just need to be told I'm not really dealing with aversions now it's just not much sounds good.

Would Chesapeake Bay Shrimp on Angel Hair Pasta be too spicy?
I also have an uncooked fresh tomato sauce to serve over angel hair pasta. They both come under the category of under 15-minute meals.

I don't know, but 15 minute meals sounds really promising! Most of the time I am ok with spicy but have been cutting back for my two year old. A lot of the time just decreasing the spicy part is pretty easy to do.

[Bawstinn]

Another quick one is to roast some cherry tomatoes like in the recipe above. Cook up some tortellini and mix with the tomatoes and a little bit of pesto. Top with romano cheese.

[Natasha]

Congratulations! How exciting.

Not angel hair or spaghetti, but I know you said any pasta recipe was fine. This is not necessarily one of my favourites as I simply haven't made it that many times, but it immediately came to mind as I remembered it just the other day and plan to make it soon I remember it being tasty and different from other pasta recipes I've made. I added more spice and at least one time I made it, I added green onions and mushrooms. The ratio of sauce and pasta is relatively heavy on the sauce, so you might want to make more pasta.


Roasted Eggplant and Onion Penne
Cooking Light, June 2000
1 eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices, (about 1 pound)
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings, (about 1 cup)
cooking spray
8 ounces uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups diced plum tomato (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Place eggplant slices and onion on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and broil for 20 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven; cool. Cut into bite size pieces.

3. While eggplant and onion broil, cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and fat.

4. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomato, basil, salt, and pepper; cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in eggplant and onion, and cook For 5 minutes. Add pasta, stirring well. Divide the pasta mixture evenly among 4 plates, and top with cheeses and pine nuts. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture, 3 tablespoons feta, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, and 1 teaspoon pine nuts).

[Canice]

My very favorite, by way of Alysha: Pasta with Swiss Chard, Bacon, and Lemony Ricotta Cheese!

[mkc]

Neapolitan-style Ragù

Thank you so much for posting this! Just reading it made me nostalgic for the Italian food I grew up with in the NY tri-state area (although I would probably serve it with fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle rather than a tube pasta shape...

Michelle

[Canice]

Not light, but I like this one, too (I use a lot more spinach than the recipe calls for):

Tagliatelle al Mascarpone e Spinaci
From "The Top 100 Pasta Sauces" by Diane Seed

500g/1 pound tagaliatelle
20g/3/4 ounce (1-1/2 Tbsp) butter
1 clove garlic
300g/10 oz fresh spinach leaves
150ml/ 2/3 cup heavy cream
150g/5 oz (about 2/3 cup) mascarpone cream cheese
a little chicken stock
salt and pepper

Melt the butter and add the garlic, whole, allowing it to turn golden brown. Add the finely chopped spinach and cook over low heat until tender. In a separate pan, put the cream and mascarpone, add a little stock to dilute, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave to simmer gently for a few minutes.

Cook the pasta, following the packet directions very carefully to avoid overcooking. Remove the garlic from the spinach. Drain the pasta, turn into a warm serving bowl and add first the cream sauce and then the spinach. Stir well and serve at once.

[Robyn1007]

I have a couple of favorites for you. The first one is really flexible, my favorite rendition replaces winter squash (such as butternut) for the summer squashes and omits the tomatoes. The second is a favorite from childhood

Penne with Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 pound uncooked penne (tubular-shaped pasta)
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) sliced yellow squash
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup (4 ounces) goat cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Preparation
Preheat oven to 475.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, and set aside.

Combine squash and next 7 ingredients (squash through garlic) in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange vegetables in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475 for 20 minutes or until browned, stirring after 10 minutes. Drizzle vinegar over vegetables; toss well.

Combine pasta, vegetable mixture, goat cheese, basil, and thyme in a large bowl; toss well.
Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 355(27% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 4.9g,mono 4g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 13.4g; CHOLESTEROL 25mg; CALCIUM 188mg; SODIUM 619mg; FIBER 3.7g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.3g
__________________

Papa's Ragu

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 9 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tablespoons yellow onion -- chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons celery -- chopped
3 tablespoons carrot -- chopped
1 1/2 cups white wine -- dry
3/4 cup milk, skim
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg -- ground
3 cups canned tomatoes -- chopped, italian, with juice
1 1/8 pounds ground sirloin

An earthenware pot should be your first choice for making ragu. If you don't have one available, use a heavy, enameled cast-iron casserole, the deepest one you have ( to keep the ragu from reducing too quickly). Put in the chopped onion, with all the oil and butter, and saut� briefly over medium heat until just translucent. Add the celery and carrot and cook gently for 2 minutes.

Add the ground beef, crumbling it in the pot with a fork. Add 1 teaspoon salt, stir and cook only until the meat has lost its raw, red color. Add the wine, turn the heat up to medium high , and cook stirring occasionally, until all the wine has evaporated.

Turn the heat down to medium, add the milk and the nutmeg, and cook until the milk has evaporated. Stir frequently.

When the milk has evaporated, add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down until the sauce cooks at the laziest simmer, ust an occasional bubble. Cook, uncovered, for a minimum of 3 � to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and correct for salt . ( If you cannot watch the sauce for such a long stretch, you can turn off the heat and resume cooking it later on. But do finish cooking it in one day.)

Description:
"Good from freezer to table!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 296 Calories; 22g Fat (74.0%
calories from fat); 12g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 55mg Cholesterol; 231mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : This recipe is easily double or even tripled or quadrupled
and freezes very well.

[cookieee]

Hi, saw this Thur on The Chew. DH made this for us that night. It was good but not fantastic. Fast and easy. I would rather have the zucchini and potatoes browned a little bit.


Antoinette Lordo's Pasta Primavera

1 pound Pasta Shells (cooked 2 minutes less than package directions)
1 Small onion (diced)
3 Cloves garlic (crushed then diced)
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 Large Zucchini (cut in cubes)
2 Large all purpose potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 cup Fresh or frozen peas
1 cup Chicken broth
1/2 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Fresh basil (for garnish)
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil Use a large frying skillet and heat 1/4 cup olive oil over a medium flame. . 1 Small onion (diced)
3 Cloves garlic (crushed then diced) Add onions cook for approximately 2 minutes. Then add garlic and stir. . 2 Large Zucchini (cut in cubes)
2 Large all purpose potatoes (peeled and cubed) When the mixture is a light golden brown add zucchini and potatoes. Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes. . 1 cup Chicken broth
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste Add broth, cover the skillet and let cook until it starts to boil then lower heat. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. . 1 cup Fresh or frozen peas Add peas cook 5 more minutes. . 1 pound Pasta Shells (cooked 2 minutes less than package directions)
1/2 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Fresh basil (for garnish)
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste Put pasta thats been cooked in a large serving bowl, pour remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, add zucchini mixture, toss and then add cheese and fresh basil. If needed add some of the reserved pasta water. ..

[Tutalady]

There are a lot of recipes out there for this one but this is my go to recipe when I can't think of anything else to make for dinner.

This is a real favorite:
Pasta with Vodka Sauce
2T olive oil
2T butter
1/2c minced onion
1c canned crushed tomatoes
1/2c heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3c vodka
Parmesan cheese to taste
In a large skillet, heat oil and butter til butter melts. Cook onion only til tender. Add tomatoes, cream, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute and stirring. Add vodka and cook 2 minutes til vodka evaporates and sauce thickens. (Will hold well over low heat if necessary.)
Serve over favorite hot pasta.

[cookieee]

There are a lot of recipes out there for this one but this is my go to recipe when I can't think of anything else to make for dinner.

This is a real favorite:
Pasta with Vodka Sauce
2T olive oil
2T butter
1/2c minced onion
1c canned crushed tomatoes
1/2c heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3c vodka
Parmesan cheese to taste
In a large skillet, heat oil and butter til butter melts. Cook onion only til tender. Add tomatoes, cream, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute and stirring. Add vodka and cook 2 minutes til vodka evaporates and sauce thickens. (Will hold well over low heat if necessary.)
Serve over favorite hot pasta.

My DH thanks you very much, but I don't know if our pregnant friend should be eating this?

[Tutalady]

I did think about the vodka but thought I would post it anyhow since it is a favorite. And actually, can be made without the vodka......the cream in it just smooths it out nicely.

[jadenegro]

I think we're out of vodka and I'd have to sub good ole chicken broth anyhow, but I decided to google this question. I don't know how scientific anything on about.com is but they do have a burn-off chart here. Looks like if you cook it about two hours you're good to go. But two minutes, probably doesn't burn off much alcohol. At least with dishes like beef stew that cook forever a little bit of wine shouldn't be an issue. If you think about it is kind of hard to totally avoid alcohol, I mean vanilla is basically pure alcohol and we put it in every dessert we feed to kids and I wouldn't have thought twice about it myself.

[Canice]

Of course you have to follow your heart (and stomach) but people have gone from one stupid extreme to another. Seriously? Five tablespoons of (cooked!) vodka over several servings? People take a good message ("don't booze it up when you're pregnant") and then cease to use any actual information to inform their decisions. Sorry, but the suggestion that that would be somehow irresponsible is just plain silly.

[charley]

Don't sub chicken broth for the vodka. The sauce is fine without it, but has an extra layer of flavor with it.

[jadenegro]

My husband scored a bag of ripe homegrown tomatoes from a coworker. First up will be a fresh tomato sauce with angel hair pasta. I can do Charley's recipe for sun gold tomato sauce subbing my ripe red tomatoes, without even needing to go to the store. That should make a quick evening dish.

Then second up this week will be one of the slow-cooked sauces posted here with meat, I haven't decided which one but I'll have to make a decision before I go grocery shopping. Yummy!

[margeslp]

Noodles Romano

List of Ingredients



1/4 cup soft margarine
2 T dried parsley flakes
1 t. dried basil
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/8 t. pepper
2/3 cup boiling water
8 oz. fettucini, thin noodles
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup Parmesan

Recipe


Cream cheese sauce:
Combine the 1/4 cup margarine, parsley and basil.
Blend in cream cheese and pepper.
Stir in 2/3 cup boiling water.
Blend mixture well.
Keep warm over pan of hot water.

Cook noodles in large amount boiling water till just tender.
Drain.
Cook garlic in 1/4 cup margarine 1-2 min.
Pour over noodles.
Toss lightly and quickly to coat well.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese, toss again.
Pile noodles on warm serving platter.
Spoon warm cream cheese sauce over.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
Garnish with additional parsley.
Serves 6