Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-ups

I looooooove lasagna roll-ups and I love pepperoni, so I definitely needed to try this recipe. These were really good! Recipe from Taste of Home.

INGREDIENTS (I doubled the recipe below to make enough for the 2 of us)

* 3 lasagna noodles
* 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon minced chives
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 24 slices pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)
* 3 slices Swiss cheese, cut into thirds (I used mozzarella instead)
* 1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
* 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (omitted)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Combine the ricotta cheese, chives, oregano and basil; spread 1/4 cup over each noodle to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with pepperoni and Swiss cheese; carefully roll up.
2. Place seam side down in a greased shallow 1-qt. baking dish; top with spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
3. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Three Cheese Manicotti

MMMMMMMMMM cheesy baked pasta. Seriously SO yummy! From allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6)

* 8 oz package manicotti shells
* 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1 egg
* 2 tbsp dried basil
* 26 oz pasta sauce (I used ricotta parmesan flavored sauce)

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, garlic, egg, and basil. Stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture.
Spread about 2 cups pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and continue baking 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Baked Pumpkin Pasta

I debated whether to post this recipe or not... because I honestly didn't really like how it tasted. But this is the first time I've ever had pumpkin in my pasta, so I figured it might just be me. Maybe someone else can make it and enjoy it! Recipe from here.

INGREDIENTS

* 12 oz uncooked penne pasta
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced (I omitted)
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1 tsp dried sage
* 1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
* 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
* 1/2 cup water reserved from pasta pot
* 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to directions on package, less 2 minutes, and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water when done.
3. Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet. Sauté onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in zucchini and herbs, and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir in canned pumpkin and ricotta cheese.
5. Empty drained pasta plus 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water into skillet and mix well.
6. Spoon pasta into a 11 x 7 baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

White Chicken Lasagna

MMM lasagna... one of my favorite meals ever... this dish with the white sauce was a nice change from your typical lasagna. (Full recipe found here and posted below, although I cut in half and used an 8x8 dish).

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
* 1 shallot, minced (I omitted)
* 3 tbsp butter
* 4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
* 2 cans cream of chicken soup
* 1- 8oz. package cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
* 2 cups sour cream (I used fat free)
* 2/3 cup milk (I used skim)
* 1 lb. lasagna noodles, cooked & rinse in cold water
* 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, brown shallots & garlic in butter. Add cream cheese, cream soup, sour cream & milk. Stir until cream cheese is melted. Add chicken.
2. In a 9x13 glass baking dish layer noodles, white sauce with chicken, then cheese. Repeat steps, ending with mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

I love love love pasta, and pasta salad is no exception. This was VERY good. One of the best pasta salads I've ever had. So light and perfect for summer!

Ingredients (no measurements... use what you like!)

* Elbow macaroni pasta (or whatever small shape you want)

* Fresh basil

* Roasted red peppers

* Minced garlic

* Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

* Black pepper

* Feta cheese crumbles (I used fat free basil and tomato flavor)

Directions

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

2. Add pasta to bowl and combine basil, red peppers, garlic, dressing, and pepper.

3. Refrigerate overnight. Add feta crumbles before serving.

Garlic Pesto Pasta

We had some jarred pesto to use up - I think I am done buying the jarred kind for a while. It just isn't very flavorful and made this dish a little bland. BUT, if you used fresh pesto, I'm sure it would be delish!

Ingredients

* Pasta of your choice

* Chicken breast, cooked, cut into pieces (I marinated in garlic herb marinade first)

* Pesto sauce

* Minced garlic

* EVOO

* Shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Boil pasta until al dente. A few minutes before pasta is done, add minced garlic and EVOO in a pan and saute.

2. Drain pasta. Add pesto sauce, garlic, chicken to pasta and combine all together. Add a little EVOO if needed. Serve immediately with parmesan cheese on top.

Shrimp Alfredo

Yep, another pasta recipe! This was really tasty :)

Ingredients

* Large shrimp, as many as you'd like (I used about 10 for myself because Keith doesn't really like shrimp. Mine were pre-cooked.)

* Appx 8 oz uncooked pasta (I used a tri-color "Creste di Gallo")

* Fresh basil, chopped

* Appx 6 cloves garlic, minced

* Bacon crumbles

* Red pepper flakes, to taste

* Appx 8 oz jarred alfredo sauce

* EVOO

Directions

1. Begin boiling pasta and cook until al dente.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat some EVOO in a large frying pan. Add your garlic and then basil to saute, then the shrimp for a few minutes until just heated through (since mine was pre-cooked).

3. When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Keep stove on low. Add your shrimp/garlic/basil mixture to pasta. Add alfredo sauce, bacon crumbles, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together. Enjoy. (I chose to leave my tails on my shrimp and then just cut them off as I ate, but it's probably better to cut them off to begin with if your shrimp aren't already de-tailed.)

Simple Ranch Chicken Macaroni Salad

Now that the weather is warm here I've really been craving pasta/macaroni/potato salads. This was really good! (From allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

* 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 (2.25 oz) can chopped green olives (omitted)
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 2 tablespoons milk (omitted... didn't miss it)
* 1 (10 oz) can chicken chunks, drained (I used a baked chicken breast... canned chicken is gross) * 1 (1 oz) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
* 2 teaspoons paprika (omitted)

* Added: crumbled bacon

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and pat dry.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the celery, olives, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, chicken and Ranch dressing mix. Stir in macaroni until well blended.

3. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Stir, and sprinkle paprika over the top before serving.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

I found this recipe on the What's Cooking board and altered it a little bit to my taste (my recipe below). I didn't realize until I tasted this that is very similar to my Simple Baked Mostaccioli. Either way, it was really good!

Ingredients

* 2 cups penne pasta, uncooked
* 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1 tsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 jar (14.5 oz) spaghetti sauce
* 2 oz neufchatel cheese, cubed
* 1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
* 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Cook and stir chicken, basil, and garlic in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. Add spaghetti sauce; bring to boil. Simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in neufchatel cheese.
3. Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.
4. Bake 15-20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.

PW's Penne a la Betsy

After hearing so many great things about this dish, I decided that I needed to make it asap. OMG. Go make this now. Seriously. This is probably one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had in my life. And that's a HUGE compliment coming from me, the girl who could eat pasta for every meal. MMMMMMMM.

A HUGE thanks to Pioneer Woman for this recipe!

Ingredients

* 1 lb shrimp

* 3/4 lb penne pasta (I used Mezze Penne)

* Butter

* Olive oil

* 1 small onion

* 2 cloves garlic

* 1/2 cup white wine

* 8 oz tomato sauce

* 1 cup heavy cream

* Fresh parsley

* Fresh basil

* Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Cook the penne pasta until al dente.

2. Peel, devein, and rinse 1 lb of extra large shrimp (I used large). Heat about 1 tbsp butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook! Remove shrimp to a plate and let cool.

3. Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves garlic.

4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board, pull off the tails, and chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

5. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit, add the white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Add 8 oz plain tomato sauce and stir until well combined. Add 1 cup heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer while you chop your herbs (about 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp basil).

7. Add your the chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Stir and add salt/pepper. Add herbs and stir until well combined.

8. Add pasta and stir everything together.

9. DEVOUR!

Italian Pasta Salad

I decided to make pasta salad today so that I could take it to work for lunch this week. This is really tasty and is perfect for warm weather!

Ingredients

* Any kind of small pasta, cooked (I used a mix of small shells and rotini)

* Salami, sliced into small pieces

* Pepperoni, sliced into small pieces (I used turkey pepperoni)

* Orange pepper, sliced into small pieces

* Green onion, sliced into small pieces

* Pepperjack cheese, cubed

* Italian dressing (any kind you like)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

Spicy Taco Bake

We made our famous taco bake for dinner last night... but this time we used hot & spicy taco seasoning and Keith decided to add some cayenne pepper into the ground turkey (and by SOME I mean A LOT!) We used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar and it turned out SUPER yummy. So if you are a TB fan and like spicy things, you might want to try this version. Yum!

(Click here for original recipe)

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine

I got this recipe from Colleen's blog (Cooking This and That). This was sooo sooo sooo good. One of the best pastas I've ever had. Seriously. My husband and I like things really spicy, so we kicked up the cajun seasoning and added some cayenne pepper in there. Yum! Here is Colleen's recipe, adapted from Cooking Light. (Makes 4 servings).

Ingredients

* 8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used whole wheat)
* 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* Appx 6 slices bacon or turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 8 oz package presliced mushrooms (I omitted.. ew, mushrooms)
* 7 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced or 1 large red pepper, chopped
* 2 tsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp cajun seasoning (I used a lot more b/c we like things very spicy)
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 2/3 cup half-and-half
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* Addition: cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring medium pot of water to boil. Add linguine and cook 5-8 minutes. Add shrimp to pot and cook 3-5 more minutes. Drain and keep warm.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Add roasted red peppers and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes or until moisture evaporates.
3. Add flour, seasoning (& cayenne pepper if using), and salt to pan; saute 30 seconds. Stir in half-and-half; cook one minute or more until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat. Add pasta mixture, bacon, and parsley to pan; stirring to combine.

Since Keith doesn't like shrimp very much, I gave him a plateful of the pasta without any shrimp and he added chicken into it, which was very good as well.

Creamy Linguine with Bacon

I saw this on Stephanie's blog a long time ago and finally decided to make it tonight. This was really good, although very very rich and filling. We were going to have a side salad or crescents with it and forgot, and now I'm glad that we did! (Serves 2-3).

Ingredients

* 8 ounces rigatoni pasta (I used whole wheat linguine)
* 3-4 cooked chicken cutlets - cubed (I omitted and used crumbled bacon instead)
* Fresh cracked pepper - to taste
* Garlic salt - to taste

For Cream Sauce:
* 2 ounces veggie cream cheese
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4-1/2 cup milk
* Fresh cracked pepper - to taste
* Parmesan cheese - to taste (I didn't have parmesan so I used shredded mozzarella instead.. it was still tasty!)

Directions

1. Cook pasta; set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, melt the cream cheese and butter over medium-low heat. Add milk once melted. Add parmesan cheese, pepper, garlic salt. Stir constantly for about 2-3 minutes until it thickens.
3. Toss in pasta and chicken (or bacon crumbles), coat well.
4. Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh cracked pepper.

Healthy Shrimp Scampi

This was really really really good! I made it just for myself since Keith isn't a huge shrimp fan, but it was well worth the effort. This is really simple to make and tastes soo good! I found this recipe on Stephanie's Macaroni and Cheesecake blog, who originally found it in the Eating for Life Cookbook. (Recipe below serves 2).

Ingredients

* 4 oz uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
* 3 tbsp Butter Buds, divided (in the spice aisle)
* 3 tbsp white wine (or chicken stock - which I used)
* 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
* Lemon to squeeze (I used lemon juice)
* Parmesan cheese & parsley for topping

Directions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil & garlic in large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently until it's almost pink, about 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 tbsp of Butter Buds & and all the chicken broth to the shrimp. Saute about 2 more minutes, until shrimp is cooked through.
5. Drain pasta. Add pepper and remaining butter buds, and mix gently.
6. Add shrimp to pasta and toss gently.
7. Spoon onto plates and top with squeeze of lemon, parmesan cheese, & parsley.

Garlic, Blue Cheese, & Red Pepper Pasta

I wanted a not-so-bad-for-you/quick and easy pasta dish tonight since Keith had decided on just eating a sandwich for dinner and I was on my own. This was pretty good! It would probably be better if you roasted the red peppers, but I was too lazy and hungry and impatient to do so! (Recipe serves one.)

Ingredients

* Appx 2 handfuls whole wheat pasta (I used fusilli)

* Olive oil to taste

* Blue cheese crumbles to taste

* Appx 1 tsp minced garlic

* Diced red peppers to taste

* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

2. Add all other ingredients into hot pasta and mix together until cheese is melted.

3. Eat! mmm.

Grown Up Hamburger Helper

This is another great recipe from Shelly! (Adapted from Rachel Ray). This was DELICIOUS and is also great as leftovers! Shelly halved the recipe, but I will post the full recipe below. This easily makes enough for 4-6 people.

Ingredients

* Appx 4 cups pasta (elbow/cavatappi/penne/etc. are fine)
* 1 lb ground beef (we used ground turkey)

* 4 tbsp grated onion (we omitted)

* 4 tsp worcesteshire sauce (we used soy sauce)

* 4 tbsp butter

* 3 tbsp flour

* 1 cup chicken stock (we used Campbell's chicken broth)

* 2 cups half and half

* 1 tbsp dijon mustard (we used spicy brown mustard)

* 2 1/2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

* Garnish: chopped dill pickles, diced tomatoes, or salsa (we omitted)

Directions

1. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta, cook per the box. Don't drain until the rest is ready.

2. In a large skillet brown the meat. Add the onion and worcestershire then some salt and pepper. When fully cooked, remove to a paper plate and get rid of the grease.

3. In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and cook for a few minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the dijon. Add the cheese and keep stirring until all melted into gooey goodness. Add more salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce skillet along with the meat. Serve with the dill pickles and tomatoes/salsa if you wish.

According to Shelly's hubby, one should also add the special ingredient: Little Caesar's spice pack! We used Pizza Hut red pepper flakes. mmm.

Friggin Amazing Taco Stuffed Shells

I found this recipe on BlogChef.net and was super excited to make it. How could anyone not love Italian + Mexican together??? mmm this was seriously one of the best meals I've ever had!

Ingredients

* 1 lb. ground beef (we used ground turkey)

* 1 package taco seasoning

* 4 oz. cream cheese (we used non-fat)

* 12 jumbo pasta shells (we used 16)

* 1 cup salsa (we used a little more)

* 1 cup taco sauce

* 1 cup cheddar cheese

* 1 cup monterey jack cheese

(we used 2 cups Sargento mexican blend)

* 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (we omitted)

* 3 green onions (chopped)

* Sour cream

Directions

1. In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.

2. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.

3. While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don't stick together.

4. Pour salsa on bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

5. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9x13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

7. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes.

8. Add any condiments you'd like (onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa. Enjoy!

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I'm sure you've realized by now that my hubby and I love pretty much any kind of pasta dish, especially if it includes chicken! And this recipe was no different. Thanks to Annie's Eats for this yummy recipe! (I halved the recipe for the two of us and we still have enough for 2 nights worth. The full recipe is posted below.)

Ingredients

* 1 box uncooked jumbo pasta shells

* 6 cloves garlic

* 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

* 30 oz. part skim ricotta cheese

* 1/3 cup italian bread crumbs

* 1 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1/2 tsp. black pepper

* 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley

* 6 large basil leaves, torn (I used dried)

* 1/3 cup half and half

* ~28 oz. spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic)

* 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Lay shells out on cutting board/cookie sheet to prevent from sticking together.

3. Add ingredients garlic through half and half to food processor and process until just combined. (I just mixed by hand.)

4. Spoon enough spaghetti sauce into 9x13 pan to cover bottom.

5. Fill the cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place open side up in pan.

6. Spoon as much of the remaining spaghetti sauce over shells as you'd like.

7. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

8. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

This was DELICIOUS!!!! My hubby said he wouldn't change a thing about this recipe, and I agree. Yum!

Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

I had a craving for lasagna but didn't feel like doing all the work, so I found this recipe on CDKitchen's website.

Ingredients

* 6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

* 6-8 oz. chicken breast strips (cooked)

* 1 jar spaghetti sauce

* 1 cup ricotta cheese

* 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (we used a little more)

* 1 egg, lightly beaten

* 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (we used a little more)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain well.

2. Mix chicken, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg and seasoning; spread 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each noodles. Roll up tightly. Place seam sides down in a 9-inch baking dish.

3. Pour spaghetti sauce over roll-ups; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

These were delicious!! Our chicken was a little dry and I ended up picking most of it out - I think these would be just as yummy without the chicken. Enjoy!