Kathie's Pasta Chicken Salad

12 oz bowtie pasta  (cooked)

12 oz spiral pasta    (cooked)

20 oz pineapple tidbits  (drained)

2 cans water chestnuts  (drained)

2 cups diced celery

4-5 green onions  (chopped)

1 pkg craisins

1 cup cashews

2 cups red & green grapes

5-6 cups cubed chicken

1 16oz Kraft coleslaw dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all together. Add cashews just before serving.

from: Kathie!

Baked Ravioli aka Lazy Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought frozen ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

from: Martha Stewart

note: I usually replace the tomatoes & spices with a jar of spaghetti sauce. Quick & easy!!

Tri-Color Pasta Salad

1 12 oz. package tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black olives, sliced
¼ cups red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
4 tablespoons basil pesto
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
2 teaspoons sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
½-1 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook pasta and coat with Caesar dressing while warm. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the pine nuts) and toss.

Top with toasted pine nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Lemon Cream Pasta

1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. black pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/2 (16 oz) package tube pasta (penne, rigatoni)
1 c. heavy cream
2 t. grated lemon zest
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir cream, parmesan cheese and lemon zest into cooked pasta. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Creamy Tuscan Pasta

4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces
8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped
2 cups milk
6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
Diced fresh tomatoes, fresh basil for topping (optional)

1.In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.

2.Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked noodles.

from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Easiest Pasta & Broccoli

12 oz uncooked pasta
6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems
5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When water boils, add pasta and broccoli at the same time and cook according to pasta instructions for al dente. When pasta is almost done cooking, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.

Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high; add 1 tbsp olive oil, when hot, add garlic. Cook until golden, reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot.

Mix well, add remaining olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste mixing well and smashing any large pieces of broccoli to break up.

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and mix well adding more if needed.

Serve in pasta bowls with additional grated cheese on the side

from: Skinnytaste

Tuna Noodle Casserole

8 ounces wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup chopped carrot
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 3/4 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot; cook 6 minutes or until carrot is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk until slightly thick. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in noodles, peas, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and tuna. Spoon mixture into a shallow broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

from: Cooking Light

Homemade Mac & Cheese

16 oz elbow macaroni
3/4 lb sharp cheddar (needs to be sharp or else it curdles)
2 Tbs butter
2-3 Tbs milk
salt and pepper to taste

While the noodles are boiling, cut the cheese into thick slices/chunks. Drain the noodles when done cooking then return to pan. Over low heat, add butter, milk and cheese (these are all kind of estimates, add more or less to taste and consistency) and stir until cheese is melted. Sprinkle on salt and pepper, stir.

Audrey's little note: I think I'm getting pickier with age...for the past few years, I just can't bring myself to like boxed mac & cheese. BUT! I love homemade, and this recipe is genius. Just as fast and easy as the box but a gazillion times better! Oh, and I've use medium cheddar instead of the sharp, and it works fine.

from: Dinner's Ready blog

Creamy Tomato Pasta

2 c. (1 can) Italian stewed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. whipping cream
3 T. tomato paste (okay to just use the whole can if you like it a little thicker)
1/3 c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Puree stewed tomatoes in blender. Sauté garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes to pan. Add whipping cream, tomato paste, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-35 minutes. Serve over cooked fettuccini noodles (or any other pasta). This is very good served with sliced seasoned grilled chicken.

from: Dinner's Ready blog

Yummy Pasta Skillet Dinner

3/4 - 1 lb. small tube or shell pasta
3 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
3 c. fully cooked ham or chicken, diced
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions - only cooking until al dente since pasta will continue to cook and soak up liquid when added to the skillet. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter is melted. Add pepper, onion, and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender, about 4-6 minutes. Add meat, basil and oregano and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth (or stock) and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half (at first it looks like it will be way to "brothy" but never fear, if you are patient, it will reduce!). Stir drained pasta into ham and vegetable mixture (I cooked a full pound of pasta but only added about 3/4 of the cooked pasta to the skillet so the other ingredients weren't lost). Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and toss. Sprinkle parsley and remaining parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta. Serve immediately.

adapted from: My Kitchen Cafe blog

Rich-N-Cheesy Oven Macaroni

2 1/2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
6 T. butter, divided
1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
2 c. milk
8 oz. processed American cheese, cubed
2/3 c. sour cream
1 1/3 c. small curd cottage cheese
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
breadcrumbs

Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain and place in a greased baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 4 T. butter. Stir in flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in American cheese until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

from: Jamie Young (a friend of a friend...)

Spaghetti Pie

1 (6 oz.) package spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 T. butter
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 c. cottage cheese
1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 (14 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. grated mozarella

Stir butter into hot spaghetti; mix in eggs and Parmesan cheese. Form mixture into a "crust" in a pie tin or casserole dish. Sprinkle cottage cheese over crust. Mix browned and drained hamburger with spaghetti sauce, pour over cottage cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes.

from: Thomas 4th Ward cookbook