Spaghetti with Cheesy Tomato Cream Sauce

Just last week I saw the Food Nanny show on television for the first time.  On the show she prepared a creamy tomato spaghetti sauce that sounded wonderful.  My mouth watered just thinking about it.  I looked online and couldn't find the exact recipe but after some searching I found this recipe which seemed very close.  I gave this recipe a try tonight and it was a BIG hit.  My husband requested that I make this for his next pre-race dinner and my son had two huge helpings.  (He loves pasta despite the veggie laden sauce!)

I slightly modified the online recipe version by decreasing the amount of pepper, adding dried oregano, using fat-free half-and-half instead of cream, and using a slightly increased amount of ricotta cheese.

SPAGHETTI WITH CHEESY TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

1 T butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ small onion, minced
1-15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
½ fat-free half-and-half
⅓ c low-fat ricotta cheese
1 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
¼ t salt
⅛ t pepper
1-lb. spaghetti

 Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, and Ricotta cheese. Cook over low heat until sauce thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon (~10-15 minutes). Serve over pasta topped with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.

Savory Sausage Penne Supper

I merged two recipes into one to create this wonderful pasta dish.  The best part was that this was an honest to goodness 30 minute dinner.  I really was able to prepared the whole meal in 30 minutes without pre-prepared ingredients.  It's really perfect for a busy weeknight!

SAVORY SAUSAGE PENNE

1 pkg. (16-oz.) penne pasta
1 can (15-oz.) tomato sauce
1 jar (7-oz.) roasted sweet red peppers, drained
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 T olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 t balsamic vinegar
1 t sugar
1 t Italian seasoning
½ t fennel seed
¼ t garlic salt
1 pkg. (14-oz.) turkey sausage, coin-sliced
½ c shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, place the tomato sauce, red peppers, onion, 1 T oil, garlic, vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, fennel seed and garlic salt in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook sausage in 1 T oil over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add tomato mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve topped with extra cheese, if desired.

Sonoran Chicken Pasta

I fell in love with a cookbook that I found at my son's school book fair and of course, I just had to purchase it.  Beside it was for a good cause - right?!  This new cookbook contains copy-cat repices from popular restaraunt chains.  My mouth literally watered as I reviewed the recipes.  I had all the ingredients for this one, so I gave it a try.  I was really pleased with the result.  This recipe was fun to try because as a pasta lover I knew I'd probably like this, but this recipe has a Tex-Mex twist which is a new way to prepare pasta for the family.

Sonoran Cheese Sauce:
6 T butter or margarine
½ c finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ - ⅓ c all-purpose flour
1 c hot water
1 T chicken bouillon powder
1 ¼ c fat-free half-and-half
½ t salt
½ t sugar
1 t lemon juice
⅛ t cayenne pepper
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese
¾ c reduced-fat Velveeta, cubed
¾ c salsa
½ c fat-free sour cream


10 oz. cooked penne pasta
6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts grilled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ c diced tomato
1 T chopped green onion


To make the Sonoran cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.


Mix together the hot water, chicken bouillon, and half-and-half. Add the mixture slowly to the roux, stirring constantly. Allow the sauce to cook for about 5 minutes (it should have the consistency of honey).


Add the salt, sugar, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to blend. Do not allow to boil. Add the Velveeta and stir until melted. Add the salsa and sour cream and stir to blend.


To assemble the pasta, place the cooked penne, chicken, and black beans in a medium bowl. Add the cheese sauce and toss to coat evenly. Garnish with diced tomato and chopped green onion.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Linguine in Creamy Tomato Sauce

I combined several recipes to create this yummy Italian dish.  This main course is easy to prepare but presents nicely when served family style.  Serve with a green salad and garlic bread for a complete meal.

Linguine
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) pasta sauce
2 c water
8 oz. uncooked linguine
½ c chopped fat-free half-and-half
½ t dried basil

In a large saucepan, stir in pasta sauce and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in uncooked linguine and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until linguine is tender. Stir in half-and-half and basil. Transfer to serving platter and top with cooked chicken.


Sun-dried Tomato Chicken:
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or chicken tenders
¼ c sun-dried tomato dressing
1 t dried basil leaves
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet.


Add chicken to skillet; cook on medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides. Pour dressing over chicken; sprinkle with basil. Cook on low heat 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning after 5 minutes.


Transfer chicken to serving platter, reserving dressing mixture in skillet; cover chicken to keep warm. Add tomatoes to skillet; stir. Cook on medium-high heat 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon; spoon over chicken. Top with cheese.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

I got this recipe from a Taste of Home Cooking School I attended many years ago.  I made a few slight changes to the recipe and this is the result.  The pasta sauce is a lighter version of a traditional alfredo sauce but you won't miss the extra calories one bit!

8 oz. uncooked linguine or spaghetti
1 c fresh or frozen broccoli florets
2 T butter or margarine
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
½ c fat-free or reduced fat half and half
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
¼ t pepper
additional grated Parmesan cheese


Prepare linguine according to package directions. Add broccoli for last four minutes of cooking time; drain. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, stirring often. Add soup, half and half, cheese, pepper, and linguine mixture; heat through, stirring occasionally. Serve with additional cheese.

Beef Noodle Bowl

This Kraft Foods recipe makes for an easy weeknight dinner.  My son ate it despite the vegetables and gave it a two thumbs up!

8 oz. linguine, uncooked
3 c broccoli florets
3 carrots, peeled, sliced (about 2 c)
2 t oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
¼ c Asian toasted sesame dressing
1 T teriyaki sauce

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add meat; cook 4 minutes or until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing and teriyaki sauce; cook 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta mixture; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture; toss to coat. Makes 4 servings.

Sausage & Penne Marinara

I recently found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine.  Italian food is my very favorite so I knew I had to give this recipe a try.  You can't go wrong with a quick easy Italian dish served with garlic bread and a green salad for a perfect weeknight meal.  This pasta dish certainly fit the bill!

2 ½ c uncooked penne pasta

½ lb. Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 T canola oil
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 can (8-oz.) tomato sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional


Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper in oil over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through.


Drain pasta; toss with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Spinach Pasta Toss

Several weeks ago, I found this recipe on the Kraft foods website and I gave it a try.  I was pretty disappointed with the results, but I felt that the recipe itself had potential.  So tonight I tried this dish again but I gave the recipe a major overhaul and drumroll please . . . I was quite happy with the results!  I paired the pasta with garlic basil toast for a quick weeknight dinner.

2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

3 c multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

2 ½ c water

1 t minced garlic

2 T dehydrated onions

½ t dried oregano

½ t dried Italian seasoning

1pkg. (6-oz.) spinach leaves
2 c Italian three-cheese blend, divided

Bring tomatoes, pasta, water, garlic, onions, and seasonings to boil in a large saucepan; stir. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 10 minutes or until past is tender. Add ½ of the spinach; simmer, covered, 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach. Stir in 1 ½ c of cheese and stir until melted. Serve topped with remaining cheese.

Karie's Bow Tie Pasta Salad

My sister-in-law Karie served this pasta salad at a cookout last summer.  I thought the salad was delicious and I requested the recipe, which Karie graciously provided.  Since then, I've made this salad several times.  I've also tweaked the recipe just slightly by using miniature bow tie pasta.  I did this for two reasons - first: I thought the miniature pasta was cute (I know crazy!) - and second: I thought the fruit and nuts were "overwhelmed" by the pasta; my thought was that using the smaller pasta would allow the fruit to standout more and it did.  So here's my version of Karie's Bow Tie Pasta Salad which I served with Fantastic Fennel Chicken.

KARIE'S BOW TIE PASTA SALAD

~ ½ of a 1 lb. pkg. miniature bow tie pasta, cooked and drained

2-15 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
1-6 oz. pkg. dried cranberries
2-4 green onions, chopped
1 ½ c celery chopped
1 ½ c bunch red grapes, halved
1 c cashews, optional
8-12 oz. coleslaw salad dressing
1 c mayonnaise

Mix all together and refrigerate until served.

Chicken Scampi

Tonight's meal was a change of plans dinner because it was one of those days when things didn't according to plan and I needed something quick and simple to prepare.  I like this recipe because I typically always have the ingredients on hand and it's easy to prepare.  It doesn't hurt that this Campell's Soup recipe tastes great too!

2 T butter

4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) cream of chicken soup
¼ c water
1 T lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups hot cooked rotini pasta
Parmesan cheese


Heat butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add soup, water, lemon juice, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until done. Serve with pasta sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Baked Mac & Cheese

This is an adult friendly version of the stuff that comes from the yellow box.   I found this recipe in my most recent Taste of Home magazine.  My son wasn't such a fan - he still prefers the stuff from the box, but my husband and I really liked this grown-up version of macaroni and cheese.  This could be a main course or a side dish depending upon the number of people you are feeding.  I served this as a side dish along crispy baked chicken.

4 c uncooked spiral pasta
¼ c butter, cubed
¼ c all-purpose flour
4 c skim milk
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
¼ t ground mustard
¼ t Worcestershire sauce
Dash ground nutmeg
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c cubed process cheese


Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk; stir in the salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted.


Drain pasta; stir in cheese sauce. Transfer to an ungreased 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Orzo Pilaf

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that makes a wonderful side dish for chicken or beef.  I found this recipe in my Better Homes & Garden cookbook but I made a few slight modifications.  I served the orzo pilaf tonight for dinner with baked chicken thighs.

2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
½ c chopped onion
2 ½ T cooking oil
¾ c orzo
2 c water
½ c shredded carrot
½ t dried marjoram
1 ½ t instant chicken bouillon granules
Pinch of pepper, optional

In a large saucepan cook the mushrooms and onion in hot oil till onion is tender but not brown. Stir in the orzo. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or till orzo is lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Carefully stir in water, carrot, marjoram, bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or till orzo is tender but still firm. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Makes: 4 side-dish servings.

Not Your Mama's Lasagna Rolls

I recently got this recipe from a local TV show's website.  I was intrigued when I saw the ingredients and so I decided to give it a try.  Can I just say "WOW"?  These lasagna rolls are extraordinary.  The combination of flavors is wonderful.  I made a few minor modifications to the recipe to suit my tastes.  This recipe makes  a lot.  I split it into two square pans and froze half so I can share it later.  The half recipe fed my family of 3 (with generous portions) for two nights and we still had left-overs.

18 lasagna noodles cooked al dente
1-16 oz. jar Alfredo sauce
1-16 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
½ c pesto sauce
4 T grated Parmesan cheese
½ c shredded Parmesan cheese

Filling:
1 lb. ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
4 slices peppered bacon, chopped
¼ t nutmeg
1 t Italian seasoning
¼ t salt
1-32 oz. container ricotta cheese
½ box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
¼ c sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ c Italian cheese blend
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente. Do not overcook the noodles.

Combine chopped bacon, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté until onions are translucent. Drain all but 2 T bacon grease. Add ground turkey to the bacon mixture. Season with salt, nutmeg, and Italian seasoning. Cook through.


Place meat mixture in a large bowl along with remaining filling ingredients. Combine thoroughly; Spoon 1/3 c filling along entire noodle and then roll up. Continue with remaining noodles.

Spread 1 c Alfredo sauce on the bottom of a 9x13x2-inch baking pan. Place lasagna rolls seam side down in the pan. Pour remaining Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and pesto sauce atop rolls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheeses. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes covered; remove covering and bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until Parmesan is golden and lasagna rolls are cooked through.

Parmesan Bow-Tie Pasta Skillet

This is a really fast and easy pasta dish. It was perfect for dinner the other night when I didn't finish work until after 6:00 p.m. and we needed dinner in a hurry!

6 c bow-tie pasta, cooked, drained
1 can (26-oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 c ricotta cheese
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ c grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Combine pasta, spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, ½ of the mozzarella cheese and 4 T of the Parmesan cheese in large skillet or large saucepan. Cook on medium heat 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ c mozzarella cheese and remaining 4 T Parmesan cheese; cover. Let stand 5 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted. Makes 6-8 servings.

Traditional Lasagna

Make sure you have plenty of time if you're going to make this lasagna - it's a lot of work, but so yummy. I recently took this to my friend Whitney's family after she had a new baby. I first found this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. I've made this lasagna many times since .

1 lb. ground beef
¾ lb. bulk pork sausage
3 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
2 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t sugar
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t salt
½ t pepper
3 eggs
3 T minced fresh parsley
3 c (24-oz.) small-curd cottage cheese
1 carton (8 oz.) ricotta cheese
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
6 slices provolone cheese
3 c (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

In a skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the next seven ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, combine the eggs, parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan. Spread 1 c of meat sauce in ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Layer with three noodles, provolone cheese, 2 c cottage cheese mixture, 1 c mozzarella, three noodles, 2 c meat sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture and 1 c mozzarella. Top with the remaining noodles, meat sauce and mozzarella (dish will be full). Cover and bake at 375° for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 20 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Makes: 12 servings.

Chicken Cacciatore

I originally got this recipe from my friend Janie. It's a little more complicated than many slow cooker recipes - more prep work - but it's well worth the effort.

½ c flour
3 lbs. chicken pieces (*I use boneless skinless chicken breasts)¼ c oil
½ c onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 c apple juice
pinch of salt
½ t pepper
1 ½ c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
½ t thyme
1 c fresh mushrooms, quartered or 1 6-oz. can, drained
1 12-oz. pkg. linguine, cooked and drained


On a plate, coat chicken pieces with flour. In a skillet, heat oil. Add chicken in batches and brown on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Sauté onions and garlic in remaining oil and transfer to slow cooker. Add juice, salt, pepper, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, to chicken mixture. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. During the final 30 minutes add mushrooms. Cook linguine. Serve chicken and sauce over hot buttered pasta.

Baked Ziti

I really don't remember where I picked up this recipe but I've been making this Italian dish for years. Serve the ziti with crusty garlic bread and a tossed green salad for a complete meal.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
2 cans (14.5-oz. each) diced tomatoes with liquid

1 can (8-oz.) tomato sauce

1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
½ t salt
⅛ t pepper
8 oz. ziti, cooked and drained
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes. Place ziti in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cover with sauce. Bake, covered, at 350º for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with both cheeses. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Makes 6-8 servings.

Note: For variety mix 1-lb. ground Italian sausage, crumbled, cooked and drained into the tomato sauce.

Sweet Sour Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is easily my favorite. I originally picked up this recipe from a cooking magazine many years ago, but I have since seen this recipe featured in a local restaurant's recipe book. This salad served with Breaded Ranch Chicken is my husband's favorite meal!

1 package (15-oz.) tricolor spiral pasta
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 green pepper, chopped

Dressing:
1 ½ c sugar
½ c vinegar
1 T mustard
1 t salt, optional
1 t garlic powder

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a large serving bowl. Add the onion, tomato, green pepper, cucumber and parsley; set aside. In a saucepan, combine the dressing ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Creamy Pesto Sauce with Bow Tie Pasta

This yummy pasta dish is quick and easy to prepare. Add chicken if desired or serve as a meatless main dish.

3 c uncooked bow tie pasta
1 T butter or margarine
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed, optional
1-10.5 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
⅓ c pesto sauce
⅔ c half and half

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, heat butter in skillet. Add chicken, if desired, and cook until browned, stirring often. Add soup, pesto sauce, and half and half. Bring to a boil. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in drained pasta and heat through. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Stuffed Manicotti

I got this recipe from a local television program years ago. Ever since it has been a family favorite. This recipe takes a little while to prepare, but it's definitely worth the time. It also freezes nicely - so you can make an extra pan for later!

1 1/2 pkgs. uncooked manicotti shells
1 T vegetable oil
1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese
1 (8-oz.) container cottage cheese
2 c grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese
¼ t pepper
1 T dried parsley
1 t salt
1 egg
3 ½ c spaghetti sauce mixed with 1 c water

Mix together oil, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1 c mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper, parsley, salt, and egg. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with cheese mixture. Pour half of the sauce in baking dish. Place filled shells on sauce. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Then bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired.