Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce

RECIPE from Julia's Album.com

DOUBLE the RECIPE for some tasty LEFT-OVERS!

• INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken (chicken breast or tenders)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)
• 5 medium tomatoes, chopped in large cubes
• 1 cup cooked spinach
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 6 bacon strips, COOKED, DRAINED OF FAT, AND CHOPPED
• 1 and 1/3 cups half and half
• 1 and 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 10 oz penne pasta 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
• (optional - saute and add in onions and mushrooms)

      

   DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, on high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add chicken and cook on one side on high heat for 1 minute. While it cooks, sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika and Italian seasoning. Flip the chicken over, and cook on the other side for 1 minute on high heat. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken over again and cook, covered, for several minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from the pan and keep chicken warm.
2. To the same pan (but without chicken), add chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper, 1/3 of the chicken (sliced into small strips) and half the bacon (already cooked and drained of fat). Mix everything.
3. Add half and half and bring to boil. Only after half and half starts boiling, add grated Parmesan cheese - immediately reduce to simmer and stir, while simmering, until the cheese melts and makes the sauce creamy, only about 1 minute (at most 2 minutes). Then, immediately remove from heat. Season with more crushed red pepper and salt, if needed.
4. In the mean time bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and drain again.
5. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Add remaining half of bacon (cooked and drained of fat). Season with more salt if necessary. Slice the remaining 2/3 of chicken into thin strips. To serve, top the pasta with chicken strips and grated Parmesan cheese.

SCALLOPS With PASTA in a WINE SAUCE

This Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb bay scallops
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried basil

Instructions

1. * Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. * Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook 6-7 minutes, turning once. Remove scallops from pan and cover to keep warm.
3. * Add garlic to pan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer on low for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth and basil to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. * Add scallops back to skillet. Add spaghetti and cook for 30 seconds. 

FLO'S LINGUINI AND CLAM SAUCE

Tasty easy recipe from Flo.

"I add a pound of frozen clam meat to really up the clam flavor and only use clam juice. Adjust the red pepper flakes to your taste for heat."

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound linguini

Salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan

6 fillets flat anchovies, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine, 2 turns of pan

1 (15-ounce) can whole baby clams, with their juice

Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of water to a BOIL. ADD salt and the linguini and cook to an

extra chewy al dente, 7 minutes or so. 

The linguini will continue to cook in sauce, later.

To a large skillet heated over medium heat, ADD oil, anchovies, garlic, thyme

and red pepper flakes. 

COOK TOGETHER until anchovies melt into oil and break up completely. 

ADD wine to the pan and give the pan a shake. 

ADD clams and their juice (see Flo's note)

Drain pasta and add it to the clam sauce. 

Toss and coat the pasta in sauce with clams until the pasta absorbs the flavor 

and juices, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Remove from heat and season with salt, add parsley and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray/foodnetwork

MAMIE'S MACARONI and CHEESE

OVEN 350 degrees
Serves - 12

INGREDIENTS:

24 oz. elbow macaroni
Ritz crackers
Extra sharp cheese slice
Milk

DIRECTIONS:

COOK and DRAIN macaroni
SPRAY 9x13" pan with non-stick spray
CRUMBLE a layer of Ritz crackers into the bottom of the pan.
ADD - 1/2 of the cooked macaroni, THEN slices of extra sharp cheese.
ADD another layer of the crackers followed by the remaining half of the macaroni and
some more cheese.
CRUMBLE more crackers on the top.
POUR enough milk around the edges so that you can see it come around the edges.

BAKE at 350 for around 45 minutes

* This has been a favorite at every family gathering for over 40 years!

** Maimie is Jacklin's Great, Great Grandmother

AUNT PEGGY'S SPAGHETTI PIE

OVEN - 350 degrees

INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS:

6 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 TBSP. olive oil or butter
2 large eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 cup sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat Oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease - 10" pie plate - set aside

TOSS spaghetti with olive oil or butter
COMBINE eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan
STIR into spaghetti
POUR spaghetti mixture into prepared pie plate
FORM into a "crust"
SPREAD Ricotta over "crust"  (add more sauce if desired)

BAKE  uncovered for 25 minutes
TOP with Mozzarella
BAKE 5 more minutes until cheese melts
REMOVE from oven and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese
COOL 10 minutes before cutting into wedges

CROCKPOT MACARONI + CHEESE from GRANDMA WHITNEY

INGREDIENTS and DIRECTIONS:

8 oz. pkg. Elbow Macaroni cooked Al Dente
13 oz. can of evaporated milk
1 cup whole milke
1/4 cup butter melted
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper ✴️
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1) In slow cooker COMBINE, lightly cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, melted butter, eggs, 3 cups of cheddar cheese, salt and pepper

2) TOP with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheese

3) COVER and COOK on LOW for 3 hours

✴️ - black pepper can be substituted !

PASTA PIE

Pasta Pie

Recipe from: Martha Stewart | Serves: 8

OVEN - 400 degrees

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Rigatoni
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
• 1 pound Ground beef 
• 2 Garlic gloves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

• 1 can (28 ounces) Good quality crushed tomatoes 
• Butter, for pan
• Salt
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 8 ounces Coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, COOK PASTA until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
• HEAT remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.
• ADD crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• TOSS pasta with Parmesan cheese. 
• BUTTER a 9-inch springform pan. Stand the springform pan onto its side and tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. 
• Return pan to tabletop. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
• Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. 
• Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. 
• SPRINKLE mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. 
• Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.
• Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.
• http://noblepig.com/2009/03/when-the-moon-hits-the-sky/

SLOW COOKER MAC AND CHEESE

SLOW COOKER - 3 hours and 25 minutes on LOW

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray

8 ounces cooked elbow macaroni

One 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick ) of butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

Two 10-ounce bricks sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 5 cups)

Paprika (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large 4-quart slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray, mix the macaroni, 

evaporated milk, milk, butter, salt, pepper, eggs and all but 1/2 cup of the

grated cheese. 

Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with 

paprika. 

Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Turn off the slow cooker, stir the mixture and serve hot.

Cook's Note: If you don't have a slow cooker, grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan 

with butter;

add the mixture and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

VARIATIONS: 

Add chopped ham, cut up hot dogs, veggies, different cheese flavors....adjust

the moisture level if need be

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood