Chicken Noodle Pasta Toss - Rachel Ray

Serves 4

Kind of like chicken noodle soup without the soup part. For some reason there were no herb seasonings in this recipe. I added fresh thyme and dried marjoram to taste and it turned out great.


Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
4 ribs celery from the heart, cut into matchsticks
2 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles (I used Pennsylvania Dutch brand)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 box frozen peas (10 ounces), defrosted

Preparation
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil for the egg noodles. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 6-7 minutes.

Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan, and cook until the veggies start to soften, 3-4 minutes. Toss the zucchini into the pan along with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes until all the veggies are tender.

While the meat and veggies are cooking, drop the noodles into the boiling water and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot they were cooked in. Add the butter to the pot and give everything a good toss to melt the butter and coat the noodles. To serve, spoon some noodles into bowls and top with the chicken and veggie mixture.

Spaghetti Pie

I don't know why I have never made this before...it's easy, cheap, so tasty and easier than lasagna. It's a new favorite.

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 c. Parmesan Cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

1 lb. hamburger

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1-1 1/2 c. cottage cheese

2 c. mozzarella cheese

Combine spaghetti with butter, Parmesan cheese and eggs. Press into buttered 9 x 13 pan to form crust. Brown hamburger and stir in spaghetti sauce. Spread cottage cheese over crust. Top with meat and spaghetti sauce mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Take out and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Let set for a few minutes before cutting...even better the second day. Variation: You could also put pepperoni on top before or after the cheese for a little kick.

Broccoli Bacon Pasta Salad

During the hot summer months I am always looking for a "cool" side dish. This one was a double bonus because it was pasta plus a veggie! We have even added cooked chicken to make it a main dish salad. It comes from "Essential Mormon Celebrations" cookbook, but of course, I have modified it to our taste. (We also cut it in half, unless taking it to a potluck)

4 Spears fresh broccoli, chopped
2 pounds bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled (we go easy on the bacon, actually use about 3-5 slices)
1 Red Onion, chopped (we like sweet onion instead--use about 1/4 cup)
1 pound fresh mushrooms
2 pounds pasta of your choice, cooked and drained
1 cup roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
1 recipe Pasta dressing

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour Pasta Dressing over top and gently stir. Chill for several hours. Makes 12 servings.

PASTA DRESSING
2 cups mayonaise
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar

Combine ingredients, stir well.

Asian Noodle Salad

This is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks website listed on the links. Thank you Michelle for that tip...she has some great stuff.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 packages linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage

1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage

1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)

3 sliced scallions

3 peeled, sliced cucumbers

LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch

1 can whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet

DRESSING:
Juice of 1 lime

8 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped (could be left out if you don't like spicy)

More chopped cilantro—LOTS

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.

*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving, WITHOUT cilantro.

Southwestern Spaghetti

This may sound like a strange combination, but it's really very good. Easy and inexpensive too. Yields 8 servings

12 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 jar or can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and salsa

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and olives. Drain spaghetti; stir into beef mixture.

Transfer to a greased shallow 3 qt. baking dish; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa.