Pasta with Creamy Tomato-Clam Sauce

Recipe From: Pampered Chef
The bread crumb topping was kinda a waste of time, but the pasta was a great flavor.

Ingredients:
8 oz cooked pasta
2 slices french bread (crumbs)
2 tbsp fresh parsley (snipped)
1 tsp butter
2 cans (6 oz) chopped clams (juice used separately)
1 cup vodka marinara sauce
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp lemon juice

To prepare topping: Melt butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs. Stir 2-3 minutes or until bread crumbs are crisp and golden. Remove pan from heat, cool slightly. Stir in snipped parsley.

For the sauce: Strain clam juice into skillet. Add vodka sauce, garlic and lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and clams. Let stand 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sprinkled bread crumb mixture.

Thai Veggie-Noodle Coconut Curry

Recipe From: Our Best Bites

A Noodles & Co knockoff of Bangkok Curry. I added chicken.1 lb. linguine

12oz pkg frozen stir fry vegetables

1/2 cup green onions

1 medium red, orange, or yellow pepper (thinly sliced)

1 cup mushrooms (sliced)

1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)

1 tbsp fresh garlic (minced)

1 tbsp curry paste

Juice of 1 lime (plus more limes for garnish)

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 can of lite coconut milk

2 tbsp soy sauce

2-3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
black or white sesame seeds (for garnish)

Cook pasta according to the package directions. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, curry paste, and lime juice. While the pasta is cooking, microwave the frozen vegetables according to the package directions, but only cook them for 1/2 the time--you still want them to be quite crunchy. If you're using fresh veggies, blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until they're tender-crisp.

In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is fragrant. Be sure to continue stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.

Add the sliced red peppers and the half-cooked (formerly frozen) vegetables. Stir fry for about 1 minute and then add the coconut milk mixture and cook until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and add the cooked noodles. Toss to combine and then allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Toss again and serve with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and 2 lime wedges per person (squeeze the lime juice over the noodles before eating).

Artichoke Hearts & Tomato Pasta

Recipe From: The Pioneer Woman

I changed this up a little and added chicken.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
1 can Artichoke Hearts, Drained
1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice - I used 4 Roma Tomatoes
1 cup Heavy Cream
½ - 1 cup Chicken Broth - I used 1 cup with fresh tomatoes
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti - I used Campenelle
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives, Chopped

Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside. Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not under salt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat. Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Pasta with Rosemary Shrimp Scampi

Recipe From: Martha Stewart
Easy and good flavors.

Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces spaghetti noodles
1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tbsp fresh rosemary (coarsely chopped)
1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Add shrimp to a hot skillet with cooling oil. Cook, remove and set aside. In same skillet, heat more oil and add garlic, rosemary, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden. Remove from heat; return pasta and shrimp to skillet. Add lemon juice and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Beef & Broccoli Lo Mein

Recipe From: Favorite Family Recipes
This took only minutes to make and was really tasty.

Ingredients:
1 pkg pasta (cooked to al dente)
1 tsp sesame oil (I hate, so didn't use)
1 tbsp peanut oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
3 cups broccoli (chopped)
1 onion (sliced thin)
1 lb steak (cut into strips)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp chili paste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions (don't add salt), drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat. While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

Lemon Salmon Linguini

Recipe From: The Recipe Club Blog

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
12 oz. linguine (cooked & drained)
1 lb salmon fillets
1/2 cup half & half or heavy cream

Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray. Warm butter & oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic & cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, basil, lemon zest & 2 TBSP lemon juice. Season with salt & pepper. Reduce heat to low & simmer for 5 minutes. Place salmon on the prepared broiling pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBSP lemon juice. Broil, 4 inches away from heat, for 5 minutes per side, or until frish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Slowly stir half & half into the butter & lemon mix in the sauce pan. Pour half of the sauce over cooked linguine & toss lightly. Place salmon over the pasta & pour the remaining sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Recipe From: Taste Buds Blog
I thought the lemon was a bit much.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (sliced)
1 cup frozen baby peas
1 cup frozen carrots
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 tbsp non fat cream cheese
1 box farfalle pasta
9 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Heat a large, non stick skillet (med high heat) and add olive oil. Add garlic, saute one minute, being careful not to burn. Add chicken; saute until almost cooked through. Add carrots and peas and saute about 1-2 min. Remove from pan and set aside. Add broth and cream cheese to pan and cook over med high heat until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Stir in chicken mixture, farfalle, and next four ingredients. Cook about one minute.

Skillet Chicken Pasta

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe
The lemon juice as a last step was a bit too much.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breasts (sliced to shape of pasta)
salt and pepper
3 tbsp oil
1 medium onion (minced)
4 medium cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp fresh oregano (minced)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 box pasta (I used a 13.5 oz mini penne)
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (I used a 14oz pre-cut bag)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (rinsed and chopped coarse)
3/4 cup heavy cream (I only used half)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I only used half)
1/2 - 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Shrimp Scampi

Recipe From: Kitchen Cafe Blog

Ingredients:
Canola/vegetable oil
Salt
6 tbsp butter
5 tbsp olive oil
9 cloves garlic (minced)
1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup parsley (chopped)
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 lemon (thinly sliced into rounds)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
12 ounces linguine

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another large heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minutes. Don't burn the garlic. Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon salt and pepper and saute just until shrimp turns pink, five minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and red pepper. Toss to combine. Drain pasta and toss with sauce and serve.

Steamed Asparagus with Butter and Lemon
1/2 pound fresh asparagus
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon (approx.) lemon zest
1 tablespoon (approx.) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Trim washed asparagus by snapping off approximately the bottom two inches of stem. Steam the asparagus for five minutes (I used my simple steamer set in a pan of 2-3 inches of boiling water). Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet. When asparagus is finished steaming, transfer to skillet and add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Heat through and serve.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Recipe From: BlogChef.net
We added 1 chicken breast, so I guess this really is no longer a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:
8 ounces thin spaghetti noodles (cooked until al dente)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh mushrooms (sliced)
1 carrot (peeled and sliced into thin strips)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1 onion (sliced)
2 tbsp garlic (minced)
2 tsp ginger (minced)
1 green onion (chopped)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp curry powder
salt and pepper (to taste)

In a small bowl mix together chicken broth and cornstarch. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the red pepper flakes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir fry until tender. Add in green onion and stir fry for 1 minute. Add in the chicken broth/ cornstarch mixture along with the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and curry powder. Stirring until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix sauce with cooked noodles tossing to coat and serve.

Lasagna

Recipe From: Amy Griffeth

I thought we would be eating Stouffer's frozen lasagna forever...but his recipe is really yummy. The extra work is worth it because this recipe made (3) 8x8 pans, so I froze 2 of them.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
1 onion (chopped)
garlic (minced)
salt and pepper

Brown and drain fat. Add:

28 oz whole tomatoes (break with fork)
12 oz tomato paste
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
Salt and pepper to taste)

Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Lasagna noodles (cooked and drained)
16 oz Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12-16 oz mozzarella and cheddar cheese

Pour a little sauce on the bottom of the pan and then layer noodles, sauce, ricotta, cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle parmesan on the top layer. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.

Ham & Pasta Skillet

Recipe From: mykitchencafe.blogspot.com
Great recipe for leftover ham from Christmas.

Ingredients:
1 box shell pasta

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 cups fully cooked ham (diced)
1 large sweet red pepper (diced)
1/2 medium onion (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (minced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)

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 ham, 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.

Sausage & Pepper Pasta

Recipe Inspired By: Jeff & Amy Griffeth

Amy cooked up leftovers for lunch at the other day and it was really good. No recipe! She just listed off a few things that they threw in with a jar of pasta sauce.Ingredients:

1 box Mini Penne Pasta
1 jar Prego Three Cheese Pasta Sauce
1 pkg Turkey Sausage (cut to shape of pasta)
1 green pepper (small slices)
1/2 red pepper (small slices)
1 onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta. Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add onions and peppers. Cook until tender. Add sausage. Cook for a few minutes. Add sauce. Simmer until pasta is done. Combine and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Shrimp & Corn Pasta

Recipe From: Parents Magazine

I grilled the tomatoes, corn and shrimp on the BBQ...the recipe says otherwise.

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp
4 corn on the cob
6 plum tomatoes (I used a dozen grape tomatoes)
1 box bow tie pasta
3 tsp olive oil (divided)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp chipotle-pepper sauce (I used chipotle tabasco sauce)
3/4 tsp salt (divided)
1/4 tsp pepper
cilantro

Heat grill. Skewer the tomatoes and shrimp and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Add corn on the cob, tomatoes and shrimp to the grill. Grill until charred and cooked through. Cook and drain pasta. Cut kernals from corn on the cob, dice tomatoes (don't need to dice if you used the small grape tomatoes) and peel shrimp. Add chicken broth to the empty pasta pot and bring to a boil. Add corn, pepper, cooked pasta, diced tomatoes, cream, chiptole sauce and salt. Toss pasta with grilled shrimp. sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Chicken Pad Thai

Recipe From: Amy Griffeth

Almost the same ingredients as my last pad thai attempt. This one uses pasta instead of rice noodles, so it is easy and the consistency was much better. Because Sam and Blake love noodles so much, I doubled Amy's recipe and used chicken instead of shrimp...no leftovers!

Ingredients:
16oz thin spagehetti or vermicelli

1-2 chicken breasts

3 eggs

4 green onions (thinly slice)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

bean sprouts

peanuts (crushed)

Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

Thinly slice chicken, season and cook in the broiler on low...set aside. Scramble eggs until firm...set aside. Combine sauce ingredients...set aside. Heat oil to a skillet and add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add green onions and cook for a minute. Add chicken, then noodles, egg and sauce. Toss to mix and cook until hot. Toss in bean sprouts and mix. Serve with peanuts.

Spinach Pasta Salad

Recipe From: Laurie Turk

Laurie entertains a lot and this looked yummy. She has a great website http://tipjunkie.blogspot.com/

Salad Ingredients:
1 bag spinach leaves
3-4 green onions (sliced)
1/4 cup parsley
3 oz craisins
3 oz honey roasted peanuts
1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
6-8 oz bow tie pasta
1 chicken breast (cooked and sliced)

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Lawry's marinade)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine dressing ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Combine salad ingredients, toss in spinach and dressing prior to serving.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Recipe From: ??

Found it on someone's food blog, can't printed it off months ago and now can't find it. I served this at Samantha's Birthday Party and was able to make it the night before. Turned out great!

Ingredients:
1 box (16 oz) bow tie pasta
2 chicken breasts (cooked, cooled & cubed)
1/2 cup craisins
1 cup red grapes (cut in half)
3 green onions (chopped)
3/4 cup sunflower seed kernels

Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
2/3 cup sugar (I used half splenda)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ginger powder

Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk them together and cover. Refrigerate. Mix the pasta salad ingredients together (except sunflower seeds) in a large bowl. Toss and refrigerate. Just before serving, mix in the sunflower seeds and dressing.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Recipe From: My Mom

Yum

Ingredients:

1 lb thin spaghetti noodles
1 lb extra-lean ground meat
1 onion
2 cans tomato soup
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can water
salt & pepper
Italian seasoning & oregano

Cook pasta. Dice onion. Use 1/2 of it and mix with hamburger meat and salt/pepper. Form into meatballs. Sprinkle with italian seasoning and oregano. Cook in the broil on low. In a large saucepan combine: soup, sauce, water, and spices. Simmer and season to taste.

Beef Lo Mein

Recipe From: Salt Lake Tribune

When Blake and I got married in 2001, he said one of his favorite things was asian style noodles. I probley tried 10 different recipes until I found this one.

Beef Marinade:
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame seed oil

Sauce:

2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp sesame seed oil
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp white pepper (or less)
4 tbsp peanut sauce

Ingredients:

1/2-1 lb beef flank steak
1 lb thin spaghetti noodles
1/2 lb bean sprouts
1/4 cup green onions
garlic and ginger

Mix beef marinade. Cut steak into 1/4 inch slices. Marinate beef for about 15 minutes. Cook meat and set aside (I just put it in the broiler). Add noodles to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Do not drain. In a bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or skillet, add grated ginger, garlic and salt...saute until fragrant. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add cooked meat, noodles (scoop directly from the pot of water so there is a bit of the salty water), green onions and bean sprouts. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Creamy Spinach Ravioli

Somebody's Recipe Blog - But Can't Remember Who!

I always print off random recipes and forget where they came from. This one is really easy, but just ok...a little too heavy for our liking.

Ingredients:

1 pkg (25 oz) cheese ravioli (I used frozen)

1/2 of 8oz tub Chive & Onion Cream Cheese (I used reduced fat)

1 scoop fat free cream cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)

1 lemon zest (grated)

6 cherry tomatos (quartered)

Cook pasta per instructions...meanwhile, add cream cheese and milk in a skillet and cook until the cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Add parmesan cheese, dill and lemon zest. Add spinach and pasta and toss to coat. Serve over fresh spinach leaves and topp with tomatos and parmesan cheese.

Notice the fort in the background...she's so funny.