Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce

This recipe with serves 12 with pretty hefty servings. This is my mom's recipe and it is delish and did I mention super-duper easy!!

Ingredients:

· 3 jars alfredo sauce
· 2 cans tomatoes with olive oil and garlic already included (or with italian seasoning)
· Parsley
· Shredded Parmesan or Assiagio cheese
· 2 bags ravioli (small square kind of ravioli)

1. Combine the sauce and the tomatoes. Simmer on low heat until heated through. Be careful it sticks and scorches easily.

2. Follow the directions for cooking the frozen ravioli. It only takes a few minutes to cook after you drop it into the boiling water. The ravioli will float to the top when it is ready.

3. After you get the ravioli out of the pot, you need to add some sauce very soon. It will get sticky...really fast. Just add some sauce to wet it down and keep it from sticking together.

4. When you are ready to make the pans of the ravioli, start with sauce on the bottom, then some ravioli, (You may have to separate the ravioli with your hands if it has stuck together.) then some cheese and a little parsley, then more sauce, then more ravioli, then more cheese and parsley… 3 layers of ravioli is perfect.

5. Top it off with parsley and cheese.

6. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then uncover to brown the top (about 5 minutes)

7. When scooping out onto the plates, garnish with the cheese and the parsley again.

8. EAT!!! :)

Chicken and Veggie Tortellini

Ingredients:
4 zucchini, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 pkg frozen, cheese tortellini
1 pkg (7oz) pesto (can omit if you are allergic to pine nuts like yours truly), just add creamy italian dressing
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Top with grated parm cheese

1. Preheat grill to 300-350. Sprinkle chicken and zucchini with italian seasoning. Grill chicken and zucchini.
2. Cook tortellini according to package instructions
3. Coarsely chop chicken and zucchini. Toss with tomatoes. tortellini, pesto (or dressing). Serve immediately.

Macaroni Ham Salad

I love cold salads, even in the dead of winter. This is an easy one from a southern lady from Baton Rouge. :)

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1 cucumber, seeded, peeled and diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 1/4 cups mayo (yes I know, sooooo bad! )
1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning
2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Cook the mac according to package instructions then add all other ingredients. Chill and serve.

Veggie Stuffed Shells

I am not a huge fan of ricotta cheese...in small doses I like it so this is a perfect stuffed shell recipe for me. :)

Ingredients:

16 jumbo shells
2 cups marinara sauce
1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz frozen broccoli, thawed
1 15oz container of ricotta cheese
1/2 c grated parm cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Spread sauce onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 pyrex.
3. place drained spinach, broccoli, all cheese, except 1/2 cup mozzarella in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper.
4. Spoon mixture into shells and place over sauce in the pyrex. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the shells and bake 10-12 minutes. Increase the heat to broil and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Lemony Herb Pasta

Ingredients:
1 container ricotta cheese
5 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb penne pasta
1 lb asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon juice, parm cheese, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper.Set aside.

2.Add penne to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Add asparagus to the pot for the final 3 minutes of cooking time. Set aside 1 cup "pasta water", then drain the pasta mixture, putting the pasta and asparagus into a serving bowl.

3. Add ricotta mixture and bacon to the bowl and stir well and add the "pasta water" 1/4 cup at a time. Serve immediately.

This is a high fat but high flavor dish ----worth every single gram of fat!!

Cucumber Pasta Salad

So as summer is winding down we are squeezing the last bit of summer onto our palate before it is the season of soups, stews and all thing casserole! This mac salad is a favorite for us. I revamped a recipe that i had and this is what we ended up with.:)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dry macaroni
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup mayo- we use good ol' Dukes
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
1 tsp yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta per box directions. Rinse and allow to chill.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients and then add the macaroni.
3. Chill before serving.

Potluck Chicken Tetrazzini

Just a little trivia, well because Tom and I love useless knowledge. :) Do yu know where the name chicken tetrazzini originated from? In 1908 it was created in honor of an opera star named Luisa Tetrazzini in San Fran. :) just in case you didn't know.:)

I believe i cut this recipe out of a Southern Living magazine years ago. LOVE IT! This is delish-delish!

ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, already prepared
1 pkg linguine
1 pkg fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 8 ounce pkg whole mushrooms
3 yellow and/or red peppers cut into 1 inch pieces and seeded
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese (Kroger sells this)
2 slices sourdough bread, cut in cubes
1 tbsp olive oil


1. Remove meat from chicken (white and dark meat) cutting into chunks equaling about 3 cups.
2. Cook linguine according to pkg instructions, add asparagus in the last minute of cooking, drain and return to pan.
3. In a large skillet cook peppers and mushrooms over medium heat, about 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour and black pepper until combined. Add milk and broth all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.
4. Add veggie mixture to the chicken and swiss. Toss and coat. Pour mixture into a 3 quart baking dish.
5. In a medium bowl, toss together bread cubes and olive oil. Spread mixture over the pasta mixture.
6. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Veggie Bacon Pasta

So if you STILL have garden veggies galore, here is another easy recipe to mix up. I made this one night, once again- when we had a ton of fresh veggies from our friends with gardens.:)

Ingredients:
1 pkg egg noodles
1 small onion chopped
1/2 pkg bacon
2 squash cut and sliced (cut in half circles)
1 zucchini the same way
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (we use Kraft)
Salt and pepper


1. Cook noodles according to package.
2. fry bacon and remove from the pan (saving the grease).
3. Add onions to the pan and saute in the bacon grease.
4. Add zucchini and squash to the mix and cook until semi tender.
5. Add tomatoes and bacon; continue over medium heat for 5 minutes.
6. Toss pasta with the veggie concoction and 1/2 cup dressing.