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Posts Tagged ‘Pasta’
Recipe Exploration: Baked Ziti
April 25, 2012
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Name: Baked Ziti
By: Renee
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Ziti
- 1 pound lean ground beef or Italian Sausage
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
- 6 oz sliced provolone cheese
- 6 oz sliced mozzrella cheese (can use shredded if you don’t have sliced)
- 1 ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil
Directions:
- 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 large skillet, brown beef or sausage over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a lightly greased 3 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of sour cream and half the spaghetti sauce mixture.
- Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.
Notes:
- You can substitute any tubed pasta. I used penne.
Categories: Recipe Exploration
Baked Ziti, cheese slices, dinner, Food, Pasta, recipe exploration, spaghetti sauce
Recipe Exploration: Strumpet’s Super Simple Pasta Salad
March 12, 2012
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Name: Strumpet’s Super Simple Pasta Salad
By: Renee (based on Strumpet’s Recipe)
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 package pasta (bowtie was used)
- 1 lb. spicy Italian sausage
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 lemon (or lemon juice equivalent)
- 1 package baby mixed greens – whichever kind you like best
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (can use flavored if you like)
- ½ cup to a cup parmesan (shaved or grated)
- ½ cup feta cheese
Directions:
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions.
- While waiting for the pasta water to boil, brown the sausage. Add in the mushrooms and peppers and saute until mushrooms are tender.
- Toss sausage mixture in with the salad.
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon out of the lemon
- Chop (mince) garlic and mix with the lemon juice and oil.
- Drain pasta and toss in salad. Add lemon dressing and toss again.
- Add parmesan toss a final time. Sprinkle with feta.
Notes:
- If all of it isn’t gone that night, this will serve as a cold salad the next day.
- It’s good with fresh cracked black pepper.
Categories: Recipe Exploration
Feta, mushrooms red pepper, Pasta, sausage
Recipe Exploration: Cajun Chicken Pasta
January 19, 2012
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Name: Cajun Chicken Pasta
By: Renee (modified from All Recipes.com)
By: Renee (modified from All Recipes.com)
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces linguine pasta
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 fresh baby bella mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 4 stalks of green onion, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguini pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
- Meanwhile, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, and toss to coat.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute chicken in butter until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and green onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in heavy cream. Season the sauce with basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper, and heat through. Add more Cajun Seasoning if desired.
- In a large bowl, toss linguini with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. If sauce is too thin, let the bowl sit until sauce thickens.
Notes:
- Can also use rotisserie chicken cut up into pieces. That works out well!
- If sauce is consistently too thin even after sitting, you can add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with or water to thicken.