Pasta Weesie - NJ Fresh Style!

In case you don't know, Pasta Weesie is one of my favorite dishes from Carrabba's. I put my own twist on it here for you!

15-20 small shrimp, peeled and tails removed
10 porcini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup prepared alfredo sauce
1/2 lb cooked linguine
3 tbsp butter
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

In a large saute pan, cook the mushrooms until soft. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, partially cook the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, peas and cooked mushrooms to the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter, zest and lemon juice. Cook until butter melts.
Add the alfredo sauce and the pasta. Stir to combine until noodles are completely coated in sauce. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

*Oh. My. Goodness. Talk about delicious. This pasta dish is so creamy and good, you will not want to stop eating it. It is even good if you leave the shrimp out. You could substitute chicken if you really wanted to. I just love pasta dishes that include everything you need in one dish: meat, starch and vegetables. If this dish wasn't so rich, I would make it every week!

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. Psalm 63:5

Baked Ziti

1 box ziti pasta, cooked
32 oz. jar marinara sauce
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 12-oz pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
15 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the cooked beef with the marinara, ricotta, spinachmozzarella, parm, egg, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Carefully mix in the cooked ziti noodles. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle more cheese over the top. Bake covered for 45-60 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top.

*One word: YUM. This is a great dish to make when you need to do some spring cleaning in your kitchen. You can pretty much put anything you want in the ziti, as long as you have the sauce, pasta and cheeses. If you don't like your ziti with ground beef, leave it out or substitute it with something else: ground turkey, sausage, whatever you like. This is a great dish that is heartwarming, as well as belly-filling!

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. Proverbs 18:22

Mushroom Lasagna

Photo taken by Evan Walter

About 9 lasagna noodles
6 porcini or shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup each mozzarella & parmesan cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
About 1 1/2 cups of your favorite Alfredo or Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside flat on a paper towel. While the noodles are cooking, mix together the ricotta cheese, mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, egg and salt & pepper until well blended.
Once the noodles are cooked, in an 8x8 inch baking dish, spray liberally with cooking spray. Put a layer of noodles down, then a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture, then more mozzarella. Repeat until you reach the top of the dish, and make sure to end with noodles. Pour the sauce over everything, sprinkle some more parmesan cheese overtop, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Serve hot with extra sauce on the side.

*I like this recipe a lot. The mushrooms give the lasagna a nice meatiness without having any meat in it. If you don't like mushrooms, you could always leave them out, but believe me - you can't even tell they're in there! I wouldn't recommend using button mushrooms for this only because they don't have much flavor, and don't lend as much meatiness as a porcini or shitake mushroom. However, if you can't find porcini or shitakes, go ahead and use button mushrooms. Serve this with our So Yummy Garlic Bread and you've got yourself a great meal!

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

Auntie Ann's Kugel

16 oz. cottage cheese (small curd)
8 oz. medium egg noodles
12 oz. golden raisins
4 eggs, slightly beaten
16 oz. sour cream
1/2 lb butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and place in a large bowl. Stir in cottage cheese and raisins. In another bowl, stir together remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour 1/2 egg mixture into noodle mixture and combine. Pour into 2 1/2-3 qt. casserole dish. Pour remaining egg mixture over top - if casserole is too full, use a larger casserole dish or center will not cook.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

*One of my all time favorite holiday dishes. This dish shows up at just about every holiday meal we have as a family. It's sweet and creamy and is a great addition to anything you're making this Thanksgiving. True, it is a little tricky to make, but once you get it down, you will not be sorry! Plus, it looks really impressive!

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18

Breakfast Pasta

Makes about 2-3 servings
1/2 lb linguine, or other long noodle (spaghetti, fettuccine)
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk, or half & half
4 strips bacon, diced
1 tsp each salt, pepper & dried parsley
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a large skillet, fry the bacon bits until crispy. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, about 7-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl beat together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and parsley until very smooth. Set aside.
Leave about 1 tbsp of the bacon fat in the skillet. Heat the pan and toss in the cooked pasta. Toss to coat in the bacon fat. Off the heat, slowly add the egg mixture to the pasta. Stirring constantly, heat the eggs with the pasta, being careful not to really scramble the eggs. The eggs should be more like a sauce - not scrambled eggs over pasta. Turn off the heat and add the bacon. Stir to combine.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

*I saw this dish on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Breakfast" on the Food Network. It looked simple enough to make, so I decided to try it at home, but of course, I had to add BACON to it! On the show, the dish only had the egg sauce with the pasta and some fresh herbs. It looked a lot fancier than how I made it. The resulting dish turns out very savory and delicious. The eggs make a thick and creamy sauce for the pasta and it is so tasty. You just have to be careful not to scramble the eggs. Once you get the technique down, you can add whatever breakfast ingredients you like - sausage, veggies, fresh herbs. Now, would I say this is the best thing I ever ate? No, but it sure is tasty!!

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta with Creamy Pesto

2 chicken breasts, cubed into bite-sized pieces
1/2 lb linguine, or other pasta
1 cup broccoli florets, cooked

For the creamy pesto:
1 cup Basic White Sauce
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine the spinach, basil, parsley, walnuts, garlic and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until combined. With the food processor on, pour in the olive oil slowly until it forms a thin paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse again until it comes together. Mix together the white sauce with the pesto. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions - about 8 minutes in boiling water. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a separate pan, cook the chicken cubes until no longer pink in the middle. Set aside. Once the pasta is done cooking, combine the chicken, pasta and broccoli in the pot you cooked the pasta in. Pour the pesto over the whole thing and toss to coat.
Serve immediately with garlic bread, and more parmesan cheese over the top.

*This is one of my favorite dishes. I love creamy sauces, and this is one of the best ones. It's a great way to make people think you went to a lot of trouble, but it's actually very simple. On a chilly night, I love to just curl up on the couch with a bowl of hot pasta like this. Add some red pepper flakes right at the end to add just a little kick to the dish. I promise, you will love this one.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Shrimp Scampi Orzo

1 cup dry orzo
About 15 shrimp, cleaned and shells removed
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large clover garlic, minced
2 tbsp dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
Salt & pepper

Cook the orzo in boiling water for about 7 minutes, or until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the butter, olive oil, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, basil and wine. Cook over low heat until the butter melts and the sauce comes together. Add the frozen peas to the sauce at the last minute and turn off the heat. The hot sauce will cook the peas. Put the lid on the saucepan and set aside.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook in a pan over medium heat - about 2 minutes per side or until just cooked. Remove them from the pan and set aside on a small plate.
Once the orzo is done cooking, drain and in the same pot, toss with the sauce and shrimp until everything is coated in sauce.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and serve with our So Yummy Garlic Bread.

*I am a huge fan of shrimp scampi, and also a huge fan of pasta. One day I was having shrimp scampi and thought it would be great as a pasta dish. I was right! It's a nice light pasta dish that as great in the summer as it is in the winter. In the winter, when fresh herbs are not as prevalent, you can absolutely use dried herbs. But don't use as much because dried herbs are much stronger in flavor than fresh. In case you were wondering, Orzo is a great pasta that looks like rice, but it is actually pasta. You will often see it used in soups, or rice pilaf. I love it because it cooks fast and is very versatile.
I like the slight tang that the mustard gives to this dish, and the hint of wine really comes through. Of course, if you just want to have shrimp scampi, just omit the pasta and the peas!

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Jonah 2:7

Eggplant Lasagna

1 or 2 Japanese eggplants, sliced into rounds
About 9 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
1/4 cup each mozzarella & parmesan cheese
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
About 1 1/2 cups of your favorite Alfredo or Marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread out the eggplant slices on a paper-towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel and rinse off the excess salt. Set aside.
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside flat on a paper towel. While the noodles are cooking, mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, egg and salt & pepper until well blended.
Once the noodles are cooked, in an 8x8 inch baking dish, spray liberally with cooking spray. Put a layer of noodles down, then a thin layer of the ricotta cheese mixture, then a layer of eggplant slices. Repeat until you reach the top of the dish, and make sure to end with noodles. Pour the sauce over everything, sprinkle some more parmesan cheese overtop, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Serve hot with extra sauce on the side.

*I am a huge fan of lasagna, but as you know, not a huge fan of eggplant. This recipe is a great way to fool people like me into eating it. The Japanese eggplant has a milder flavor than regular eggplant, which tends to be bitter the bigger it is. Remember, the bigger the eggplant, the more seeds it has in it, the more bitter it is. That is why the "salting" step is so important. It draws out some of the bitter liquid from the eggplant and makes it tender and delicious. Don't forget the rinsing step either because otherwise you will have salty eggplant!

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Matthew 5:13a

Tuna Noodle Casserole

(The cold kind)
1/2 box of macaroni noodles, or any other similar pasta
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cans of tuna, drained
1 cup mayo
Salt & pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta according to directions on the box, about 8 minutes in boiling water. Drain and spread out on a lightly greased sheet pan to cool.
Meanwhile, mix together the tuna, mayo, celery, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside while the pasta is still cooling.
Once the pasta has cooled completely, mix it in with the tuna mixture.
Serve immediately, or store in fridge until ready to serve.

*This is a recipe that I remember most from my childhood. My mom would make it on lazy days when she either didn't really feel like cooking, or as a side dish to burgers and hot dogs. It's such an easy dish to make and it's actually kind of fun to make it. The important step is letting the noodles cool down completely before mixing them in with the tuna and mayo. Otherwise, the mayo just melts away and the pasta won't be creamy and delicious. Also, use just a little more mayo than you think because some of it will get absorbed into the pasta. (Yes, you can use less mayo if you're watching your diet, but it just won't be as creamy). Enjoy this fun summer dish!!

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6