# Do you love pasta with sauces?



## SizzlininIN (Oct 17, 2004)

I love almost any pasta dish with a sauce on it.  The only thing I can say I don't care for with pasta is artichoke.....because I don't like the taste of the artichoke. 
I would like to add to my pasta file...........please share your favorite dishes and please tell me what you would serve along with it.
I know there are several of you out there that love italian dishes......please share.


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## marmalady (Oct 17, 2004)

This came from Sara Moulton on FoodTV - it is absolutely scrumptious!

Asparagus Lasagna
Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine
4 pounds medium asparagus, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, heated
1/2 cup water, heated
7 ounces mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, or to taste
6 (7 by 6 1/4-inch) sheets instant (no-boil) lasagna 
1 2/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup heavy cream 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 

Cut the tips off each asparagus spear and reserve them. Cut the stalks of asparagus into 1/2-inch lengths. 

In each of 2 large shallow baking pans toss half the asparagus stalks with half the oil, and salt to taste coating them well, and roast them, shaking the pans every few minutes, until they are crisp-tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Set them aside. Lower oven temperature to 400 degrees F. 

In a saucepan melt the butter, add the flour, and cook the roux over moderately low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the broth and the water in a stream, whisking, simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, and whisk in the goat cheese, zest, and salt, to taste, whisking until the sauce is smooth. 

Arrange 1 sheet of pasta in each of buttered 9 by 13-inch baking dishes, and spread each sheet with 1/4 of the sauce. Top the sauce in each dish with 1/4 of the reserved roasted asparagus, and sprinkle the asparagus with 1/3 cup of the Parmesan. Continue to layer the pasta, sauce, asparagus, and Parmesan in the same manner, ending with a sheet of pasta. 

In a bowl beat the cream with a pinch of salt until it holds soft peaks. Arrange the reserved asparagus tips on the pasta, spoon the cream over the pasta and the asparagus tips, spreading it with the back of a spoon, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan on top. 

Bake the lasagna in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until it is golden and bubbling, and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. 
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Inactive time: 10 minutes 
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
*******************

And another - 

PASTA W/CRAB & PEAS IN SAFFRON BROTH

4 servings

1 lb. wide pasta		
2T chopped shallot		
2 cups chicken stock
1lb. fresh peas			
½ lb. crabmeat			
2T butter
Generous pinch saffron	
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Fine dice red pepper or fine julienne carrot for garnish

Cook pasta per directions. In large shallow pan, simmer stock with shallot, saffron and red pepper flakes for several minutes til the saffron colors the liquid.  Add peas and simmer for 1 minute.  Add pasta and heat through; toss in crabmeat and butter; season with salt and pepper; garnish as desired.  
owned.


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## jkath (Oct 17, 2004)

Here's one I posted a while back:

My Favorite Fettucine

1 tsp salt 
1 Tbsp butter 
1/2 onion, chopped 
1/2 tsp marjoram 
1 c. whipping ceam 
1-1/2 c. frozen peas 
1 jar real bacon bits (2 or 3 oz) 
3 cooked chicken breasts, cut up 
1/2 tsp pepper 
1 pound fettuccine 
2 tsp fresh lemon juice 
2 Tbsp butter (for second half) 
1 c. milk 
4-5 roma tomatoes, in eighths 
1 tsp nutmeg 
1/4 tsp ground corriander 

Boil water in a large kettle & add salt. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions & cook till tender. Add marjoram, cream, peas, bacon, chicken & pepper. Cook over medium till all is heated through. Meanwhile, put pasta in boiling water & cook for the time listed on box. To the contents of the skilet, add lemon juice & stir well & heat through. Add the pasta. Mix well & turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Mix in remaining butter, milk, tomatoes, nutmeg & corriander. Turn heat on low & simmer till tomatoes are hot. 


Let me know if anyone tries this one out


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## Lifter (Oct 17, 2004)

A lot less complicated, but this tastes pretty good...

Set your salted pasta pot to boil on high, then get busy with the following:


Four hot Italian sausages, on the broiler pan, into the oven at 400...

In your saucepan, about three ounces of olive oil...add a medium vidalia, skinned and cut to rings...and about three tablespoons of chopped garlic...saute these until transluscent...

Add a can of tomato paste, and mix in well...

A can of "Classico de Sicilia" "Red Pepper Sauce" (its really not that hot!  any good arrabitta sauce could be used!), poured in, and mixed well...

A sweet green or red bell pepper, cored and seeded, sliced thinly and added...

(Optional "hot" recipe" one jalopeno pepper, stemmed, cored and deseeded, cut up very finely)

About eight "hot cherry peppers", cored, cleaned and de-seeded, cut in half..

(Keep Stirring!)

Your sauce should be burbeling along by now, and you are stirring to keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and, as your sausages reach the 35 minute period of cooking, you can remove them, slice them into 3/8" thick slices, cut on a bias and mix them into the sauce, and season the same to taste with either cayenne or tobasco (gently!)(not everyone wants burnt lips!)

Remove to a ceramic pot, and leave sit for serving...

Pour an adequate amount of "penne rigate" noodles into the furiously boiling water, and cook about 8 minutes, or to taste...drain, douse with olive oil and stir to prevent sticking...

Serve with grated Asiago Cheese as a condiment...

Chianti does go well with this...a red Italian that is sort of "rough" in texture...

Ice cream for dessert to take any "burn" off the tongue and mouth...

Lifter


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## jkath (Oct 18, 2004)

Lifter, this recipe really looks like something my husband would consume in minutes. I'm going to make a point of making it for him this week - thank you for sharing. PS - I do enjoy how your recipes are written out, as though we are watching your "cooking show" - makes for good reading.


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## Juliev (Oct 20, 2004)

I just posted this over in the "Eggs, Cheese...." category.. but this is pasta and it's in a cheese sauce.. so, I thought I put it here too.

My favorite mac-n-cheese:

1/2 lb Velveeta cut up 
1/4 cup milk 
1 cup (3 1/2 oz) elbow macaroni, cooked and drained 
salt and pepper to taste 

Stir Velveeta and milk in med saucepan on low heat until smooth. Stir in macaroni, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into 1-qt casserole and back at 350° for 20 min. 

Note: if you want to give each person (makes 4) their own little casserole, substitute 4 (10oz) baking dishes for the 1-qt. Also, if you want to add some crunch to the top of your mac-n-cheese, top with crushed herb-flavored stuffing mix and leave in 10 min longer.


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## SizzlininIN (Oct 22, 2004)

Thanks JulieV, jkath and Lifter I can't wait to try them.  Anyone else care to share so all us Pasta Lovers can try your recipes.

Thanks


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## crewsk (Oct 22, 2004)

I thought long & hard about this because I love pasta! This is one of my favorites. I don't make it often because I am the only one in my family who likes it. I usually freeze the leftovers for another meal or two.

Spinach Stuffed Lasagna Ruffles

1(8oz.)pkg lasagna noodles, uncooked
1(8oz)pkg cream cheese, softened
2(10oz.)pkgs frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1(15oz)carton ricotta cheese
2C(8oz)grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2C freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2tsp Italian seasoning
1/4tsp. salt
1(32oz)jar spaghetti sauce
Garnishes:fresh basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions & drain. Place noodles on layers of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed of electric mixer until smooth. Stir in spinach, ricotta, mozzarella. 1C. of parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, & salt. Spread 1/2C cheese mixture evenly over each cooked noodle. Roll up, jellyroll fashion, starting at narrow end. Cut lasagna rolls in half crosswise using a sharp knife.

Pour spaghetti sauce into a lightly greased 13x9x2 inch baking disk. Place lasagna ruffles, cut side down, over spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2C parmesan cheese.

Cover & bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until lasagna ruffles are throughly heated. Garnish if desired. Yield 6-10 servings.

From Southern Living Our Best Five Star Recipes.


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## mudbug (Oct 22, 2004)

crewsk, delete the cream cheese and add some eggs, and you've got what I stuff manicotti with.  Haven't made it in a long time, but deeelish.


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## crewsk (Oct 22, 2004)

That sounds good mudbug! I love manicotti!


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## SizzlininIN (Oct 23, 2004)

thanks crewsk sounds good.  Hubby isn't one to eat spinach but I think I'll try it out on him and see if he notices


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## Lifter (Oct 24, 2004)

Another thought for you Sizz, this one a really lazy way of making a lasagna...that kicks some serious butt in the flavour department...

Spray down your cake tin/ lasagna pan with some olive oil...

Using scissors to "cut to fit" arrange one layer of dry (YES!  DRY!) lasagna noodles (ever try the spinach ones, that are green?)

On top of this, a mixture of finely sliced and diced green pepper, ricotta cheese (okay, if you can't find ricotta, you can still use dry curd cottage cheese, but ricotta is better), about a tablespoon of minced garlic, a bout 1/3 of a stalk of very finely sliced celery, and some fried and drained ground beef...best to mix this up separately, so you can just ladle it in and spread it around...

Top this with a layer of your favourite spaghetti sauce; lets go with Classico Sicilia with Italian Sausage, mixed with a small can of tomato paste, not being TOO generous, here...

Cover this with a layer of thinly sliced pizza pepperoni slices, and subsequently cover entirely with provolone cheese...

Repeat this process until you have at least three layers (alternating the layout of your DRY lasagna noodles each time)

Cover the top with whatever remains of your spaghetti sauce, then cover again with provolone, and the bagged Kraft shredded Italian cheese mix...

Cover with tinfoil, and insert in 375 oven for 30 minutes...

Remove tinfoil (carefully!  You wanted to put it on tautly, so it didn't sag into the chease and pull the whole "head" of your recipe!

Return it to the oven, and cook another 20 minutes or so, until the cheese starts to crust up...

Remove and allow to sit for 20 minutes or so...

The noodles absorb the moisture from the ingredients, with the cheese acting as a "seal", and are fully cooked (providing you remember to cover them all!), thus eliminating that PITA factor of separately cooking and removing hot lasagna noodles from the pot (making this easiest to make, but we won't tell the eaters that...just keep it our little secret, eh?)

The pepperoni just rocks the house for flavour, and this particular sauce is enough to give a little "zing" of its own...

as Debbie "did" dallas, so does "lifter" "do" lasagna...

Lifter


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## SizzlininIN (Oct 25, 2004)

Sounds awesome Lifter..........thanks!


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## abjcooking (Oct 31, 2004)

Here are a few of my favorites:

*Fettuccine with Cheese Sauce*

12 oz. fettuccine pasta
2 cups frozen green peas
1 lb. shrimp, cooked
2 t. minced garlic
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 1/4 cup bottles alfredo sauce.  I don't like the Ragu brand.
1/3 cup milk
1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

Cook pasta as package directs.  Put frozen peas in a colander and set in sink.  While pasta cooks, coat in a large skillet with nonstick spray.  Heat over med-low and add garlic and cook 1 minute until soft, don't brown when garlic gets brown it gets bitter.  Stir in spinach, cook until wilted.  Stir in alfredo sauce and milk.  Cook 1-2 minutes to heat.
Drain pasta over peas in colander put in large bowl.  Add shrimp to spinach mixture heat them through in the diah and add mixture to pasta and peas stir.  Top with tomatoes.

*Mediterranean Pasta*

3 T. olive oil
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced diangonally
1 (8.5oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes, julienned and drained
2 T. garlic, minced
1 lb. fresh angel hair pasta (I use dried)
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 (8.5oz) can artichoke hearts in water quartered and drained
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 t. dried oregano
salt and pepper

Boil water for pasta.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Brown chicken strips until no longer pink- about 3 minutes each sied.  Add sun dried tomatoes and garlic.  Saute for 2 minutes.  In the meantime add the pasta to boiling water.

Now add the basil, artichokes, olives and feta cheese to the skillet.  Saute 1 minute then stir in the cream.  Strain the pasta and transfer to serving bowl.  Add the chicken saute to the pasta and toss.  Season with oregano and salt and pepper.

*Pasta with Tuna Cilantro Cream*

I know this sounds a little strange, but trust me if you like tuna and cilantro these 2 go very well together.  My boyfriend asks for it all the time.

500 ml heavy cream
2 cans of tuna in water, drained
1/2, 3/4 chopped white onion
fresh cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, chopped

Saute onion in just a few drops of oil until tender.  Add cream and bring to a boil.  Bring down to a simmer and add tuna and cilantro.  Use your best judgement on the cilantro it can be a little over bearing, but you can always add in more as you go.  Maybe start with 5 large pinches.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn sauce down to just about low.  Start to cook pasta.  Now just about the time the pasta is done add the tomato to the pasta with a little salt and pepper to taste.  Strain pasta and add to sauce.  Simmer together for a few minutes to let pasta absorb the flavors.  Sometimes I will add the tomato on top of the pasta after it is already on the plate if I want for of the tomato flavor.

*Michael's Delightful Dish*

1 lb. gound beef
Dash garlic salt
Dash pepper
1 T. sugar
2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (5-8oz.) package noodles -again I like the shells or penne.  Any type that will hold the sauce
1/4 to 1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 (8oz.) carton sour cream
1 (3oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Brown beef and pour off excess fat.  Add garlic salt, pepper, sugar and tomato sauce.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  In the meantime, cook noodles according to package directions.  While sauce and noodles are cooking, blend ( I beat) onion, sour cream, and cream cheese.  Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish with butter and then make alternate layers of noodles, meat sauce, sour cream mixture and grated cheese, ending with cheese.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350.


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## SierraCook (Oct 31, 2004)

Penne with Mushrooms, Sausage, Fennel and Gorgonzola Cheese

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic -- chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms -- sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil -- chopped or
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons fresh oregano -- chopped or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 pound penne -- (or other tubular-- pasta)
8 oz. Italian sausage chopped
1/2 cup chopped fennel
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese -- crumbled
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.  Add mushrooms; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add fennel sauté 2 min.  Add sausage sauté 4 min.  Add cream, basil and oregano and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about5 minutes.  (Can be made 2 hours ahead, let stand at room temperature.)  Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.  Add pasta and cooking liquid to sauce in skillet. Toss over medium heat until mixture is heated through and sauce coats pasta.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese toss and serve.


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## SizzlininIN (Nov 4, 2004)

Thanks everyone.....they all sound delicious and I can't wait to try them.


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