meats, side dishes, appetizers?
I am of the opinion that pasta works for everything. Especially if you’re use to the traditional ham, turkey, etc. So here are my favorite pasta recipes…then if you want the traditional, I’ll give you some ideas with sides. Hope this helps!
(You may need to double, etc. to serve the number of guests you will be having.)
Manicotti
1 package Hillshire Farm Italian Sausage (Mild)
1 (12 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can water
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 box fresh mushrooms, sliced
Filling
1 container ricotta cheese
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 package frozen spinach, chopped or 8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped fine
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 box manicotti, boil as directed on package
Squeeze out of casing into hot kettle.
Brown.
Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water.
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
Put mushrooms in 30 minutes before preparing dish.
Stuff Manicotti with cheese mixture.
Put some sauce on the bottom of 9 x 13 pan.
Place Manicotti in rows so they’re not touching each other.
Pour remaining sauce on top.
Top with some Mozzarella.
Put in oven at 350F degrees until it bubbles.
www.recipezaar.com/8640
Here are a few other make-aheads:
Five Cheese Pasta
Kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola (1 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pound imported penne rigate pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot.
Combine all the ingredients except the penne and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine. Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2 cup capacity). Dot with the butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.
(You can leave the gorgonzola out! I have done that when I am feeding folks that don’tlike it!)
edit: I put this in one big casserole to heat…
This is a really easy, wonderful alfredo recipe. You could add steamed broccoli and/or chicken breast, even sauted shrimp to make it more elegant:
Creamy Alfredo Sauce
8 ounces dry fettuccine pasta
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a medium saucepan, combine cream cheese, Parmesan, margarine, milk, garlic powder and basil and stir over low heat until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss sauce with pasta and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve.
Fettuccini Carbonara
1/2 pound bacon
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 beaten eggs
1 pound fettuccini, cooked
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup snipped parsley
Heat oven-proof serving dish in 250 degree
oven. In skillet cook bacon till crisp. Drain; crumble. Heat cream till just warm. Remove from heat; beat in eggs. Toss pasta with butter. Pour egg mixture atop. Toss till well-coated. Add bacon, cheese, and parsley; toss to mix.
Sprinkle with pepper. Serves 6.
Chicken Scampi
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced lengthwise into thirds
In a skillet heat the butter and olive oil on medium high heat until butter is melted. Add parsley, basil, oregano, garlic and salt and mix together. Stir in lemon juice.
Then add chicken pieces and sauté for 3 minutes or until white. Lower the heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. More butter can be added if needed. Serve chicken over hot angel hair, or other pasta and pour some of the sauce over it all.
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
2 servings 25 min 10 min prep
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
4 ounces linguine, cooked al dente
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion
1-2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through.
Pour over hot linguine and toss, with Parmesan cheese.
Traditional Shrimp Scampi
Preparation time: 30-35 minutes but if you purchase your shrimp already peeled and de-veined the prep time should be reduced to about 15 minutes. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients:
2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp (either 16-20 count or smaller ones), peeled and de-veined or unpeeled and un-deveined
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup dry white wine (chardonnay or pinot grigio)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions:
Peel and de-vein shrimp unless you purchased P & D shrimp. You may choose to butterfly the shrimp as well (see note below)
Sauté green onions, parsley, and garlic in butter until onions are tender
Reset heat to low and add shrimp. The shrimp should be added in a single layer on the pan (cook two batches if necessary or use two pans).
Continue cooking, stirring frequently for 4 to 5 minutes
Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon to a serving dish and keep warm
Add remaining ingredients to butter mixture and simmer for 2 minutes
Pour butter mixture over shrimp
Serve this shrimp recipe over linguine or Angel Hair pasta. If you wish to do likewise, cook about 1 pound of the pasta of your choice. She then adds freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.
These shrimp are also excellent when served over rice.
Spicy Shrimp Scampi
Preparation time: 20 minutes. Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds of scampi (shrimp) Use P & D shrimp (peeled and deveined) or clean, peel and de-vein the shrimp yourself
Flour
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ounce Brandy (you can buy a 1 ounce bottle of brandy at most liquor outlets)
1 cup of tomato sauce
Pinch of salt
2 ounces of butter
Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions:
Lightly coat the shrimp with flour
Heat the oil oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Add the shrimp, garlic, crushed red pepper and sauté
Pour brandy into pan and ignite with a long lighter (stand back as it will flare up and do not flame the pan under cupboards or near other flammables)
Add the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt and simmer for 2 minutes
Add the butter to thicken and shake the pan to combine
Add salt if needed
Sprinkle with parsley before serving and Parmesan cheese if you wish.
As for sides, etc. here are some of the favorites:
Caesar Coleslaw
1 pkg pre-made coleslaw
1/4-1/2 cup shredded parmesean cheese
1/2 pkg caesar croutons
1 bottle creamy caesar dressing
Toss first three ingredients together. Add enough dressing to coat. It’s even good the next day!
Spinach-Bacon Salad
1 8oz pkg. spinach
3 hard boiled eggs
8 mushroom caps, sliced
Toasted slivered almonds (optional)
Combine all ingredients and serve with Hot Bacon Dressing.
Hot Bacon Dressing
½ lb. bacon, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups white vinegar
5 tsp. cornstarch
Fry bacon until crisp, drain and leave bacon drippings in skillet. Add sugar and vinegar to skillet and stir well. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with 2/3 cup water, stir until it dissolves and pour into skillet with dressing. Return to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, return bacon to skillet and toss dressing into salad.
Fancy Creamed Corn
½ pound bacon, chopped
16 oz frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 cup whipping cream of half and half
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook bacon until crisp. Add corn and stir for 5 minutes. Mix half and half with cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture, salt and pepper. Stir until thick and bubbly.
Corn Casserole
2 cans cream corn
2 cans drained corn
2 boxes jiffy corn bread
16 oz. sour cream
1 egg
2 sticks butter, cut into pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Bake in casserole dish at 350 degrees for 1-1 ½ hours.
3D Origami – Easter egg
Well-known Greek food expert and award-winning author DIANE KOCHILAS and photographer-videographer VASSILIS STENOS bring you a delicious, easy Greek dish based on Mediterranean classics like Greek olives. This stew is perfect for a Sunday meal with family. It hails from the mainland. Serve it with Greek or other noodles or plain rice. Come to visit Diane and Vassili at their GLORIOUS GREEK KITCHEN COOKING SCHOOL. They also own and DV FOOD ARTS CONSULTING, a food marketing company that produces specialty books and other food-and-wine-related literature for a wide variety of clients and independently for the tourist and other markets. Diane consults on Greek cuisine for restaurants, retail outlets and producers of fine Greek foods. Vassilis Stenos offers an extensive archive of food and travel photographs of Greece. Diane Kochilas is a well-known Greek food “guru”, consultant, chef. She has written 19 books on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. She is the consulting chef at Pylos, one of New York’s top-rated Greek restaurants. Diane divides her time between Athens, Ikaria, and New York. In Athens, she is the weekly food columnist and restaurant critic for Ta Nea, the country’s largest newspaper. Diane writes frequently for the US food press and appears regularly on American television. Her books include: The Food and Wine of Greece, The Greek Vegetarian, The Glorious Foods of Greece, Meze, Against the Grain (good carbs), Mediterranean Grilling, Mastiha Cuisine, The Northern Greek Wine Roads Cookbook, and Aegean Cuisine.
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