This dish is typically made with small elbow pasta. My kids wanted me to make it with Rigatoni so I did. Whatever pasta you decide to use you will love this. This was a very popular meal at the deli. Here is what you need for this:

Serves four

10 oz. raw pasta – cooked (elbows, shells or Rigatoni)
6 Italian sausages
2 TBS olive oil
1 white onion – finely chopped
4 garlic cloves – minced
3 tomatoes – peeled and chopped
1 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS crushed oregano
1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
2 tsp. black pepper

Cook the pasta as per instructions. Drain and shock it. Set it aside.

Remove the sausages from the casings and brown. Drain it and set aside. Wipe the pan.

Add the olive oil and heat. Add the onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes – until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and mix well. Cook for a minute and add the tomatoes and oregano. Cook the tomatoes for another 4 to 5 minutes. Make a well in the middle and add the tomato paste. Mix well. Add the tomato sauce and the water. Season with black pepper. Return the cooked sausage to the pan. Mix well and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the pasta to the sauce and heat it through. Serve with some Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Pasta no cheese – CALORIES 459.87; FAT 11.76 grs (sat 3.51; mono 4.64; poly 1.90); PROTEIN 19.12 grs ; FIBER 6.12 grs; CARBS 69.43 grs; CHOLESTEROL 30.24 mg; IRON 4.89 mg; SODIUM 639.81 mg; CALCIUM 87.79 mg

Print the American Chop Suey Recipe Here

Here’s a nice pasta salad that you can keep vegetarian if you would like. It has all kinds of nutrients in it and is very easy to make. If you want to keep this for a few days, keep the tomatoes separate. Here is what you need for this:

Serves six

12 oz. cooked al-dente whole wheat pasta
1 large carrot – grated
1 small cucumber – peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tomatoes – peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk – chopped
2 scallions – chopped
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken*
½ cup sliced ripe olives
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/8 cup olive oil

Place all the ingredients – except for the oil, salt and pepper – in a bowl. Mix well.
Add the salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss to mix well and serve. Enjoy!
*If you want to keep this vegetarian omit the chicken.

CALORIES 400.70; FAT 16.03 grs (sat 2.62; mono 4.29; poly 0.95); PROTEIN 17.29 grs ; FIBER 6.5 grs; CARBS 51.28 grs; CHOLESTEROL 43.33 mg; IRON 3.49 mg; SODIUM 840.81 mg; CALCIUM 74.65 mg

Print the Pasta Salad with Chicken Recipe Here

Serves six

12 oz. cooked Linguine (I used whole wheat)
2 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS olive oil
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp. red chili flakes (opt)
2 – 10 oz. cans baby clams – drained (reserve the liquid)
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
Black pepper
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Place the butter and oil in a large skillet and melt it. Add the garlic, parsley and chili flakes. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes – until fragrant.
Add the reserved clam liquid, the wine and the cream. Mix well and bring to a low simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the clams and heat them through. Add the pasta and mix well. Season with black pepper and add the Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve. Enjoy!

CALORIES 431.30; FAT 27.18 grs (sat 14.10; mono 9.13; poly 1.29); PROTEIN 13.64 grs ; FIBER 4.46 grs; CARBS 31.59 grs; CHOLESTEROL 112.69 mg; IRON 3.26 mg; SODIUM 896.50 mg; CALCIUM 176.67 mg

Print the Linguine with Clams in Cream & Wine Sauce Recipe Here

Clearly macaroni and cheese is not health food but it sure is comfort food at its best. This version has chipotle peppers which add a wonderful smoky spiciness to it. Here is what you will need for this delicious meal:

Serves eight

¼ cup butter
1 small white onion – chopped
4 garlic cloves – minced
¼ cup flour
2 chipotle peppers with their adobo – chopped
4 cups milk
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese or something comparable (I used Edam)
12 oz. cooked elbow pasta
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 TBS chopped parsley

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan and parsley.

In a large skillet, preferably oven proof, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the flour and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes – whisking constantly. Add the chipotle and mix well. Slowly add the milk – constantly whisking (vigorously) to avoid flour lumps. Your sauce will have the onions and chipotles visible but should not have any flour lumps. Add the cumin and whisk constantly until sauce starts to thicken.

Add the cheeses and mix until fully incorporated and melted. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary. Season with black pepper and mix well. If you are working with an oven proof skillet, go ahead and top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. If you are not, transfer the macaroni and cheese to a casserole dish and top it with the bread crumbs. Place skillet or dish in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove mac and cheese from oven and serve. Enjoy!

CALORIES 617.68; FAT 28.61 grs (sat 16.67; mono 7.75; poly 1.86); PROTEIN 29.21 grs ; FIBER 5.43 grs; CARBS 61.64 grs; CHOLESTEROL 82.35 mg; IRON 3.99 mg; SODIUM 701.80 mg; CALCIUM 636.49 mg

Print the Spicy Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese Recipe Here

Lasagna is such a popular dish and it really is not as hard to make as it seems. It is also a great inexpensive way to feed large groups of people. You can make it ahead of time and freeze it so that you have it handy when you want to eat it. Here is what you are going to need for this:

For the Sauce:
1 pound ground sausage
¾ pound ground beef
1 yellow medium yellow onion – chopped
6 garlic cloves- minced
1- 29 oz. can tomato sauce
Crushed oregano
¼ cup chopped basil leaves
Black pepper
Olive oil

• Brown the sausage and beef in a large skillet. Drain the excess fat in a colander inside a bowl.
• Wipe the skillet clean with some paper towels.
• Add some olive oil and heat. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
• Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until aromatic.
• Return the browned meats to the skillet. Mix well.
• Add the tomato sauce. Fill the empty tomato sauce can half way with water and add to the meat. Mix well.
• Add the oregano and black pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• Add the chopped basil and set aside.

For the cheese:
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
¼ cup shredded Mozzarella

• In a large bowl, whisk together the Ricotta, eggs, garlic powder, salt, oregano and pepper. Whisk into a smooth paste.
• Whisk in the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• Set aside.

For the noodles:
12 oz. lasagna noodles
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna, per package instructions.
• Drain noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Set the noodles aside.

Assemble the lasagna:

Extra shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish.
• Top with enough lasagna to cover the meat.
• Top the noodles with about ¾ meat sauce. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella on top.
• Top with enough noodles to cover the meat.
• Top with the Ricotta cheese mixture.
• Top with enough noodles to cover the cheese.
• Top with the remaining meat sauce.
• Sprinkle shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese on the top – be generous.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Uncover dish and bake for an extra 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow sitting for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Print the Meat & Cheese Lasagna Recipe Here

This meal is super simple but the final result is amazing. The roasted tomatoes bring a unique sweetness to the pasta. To top it off it is very easy to make. Here is what you are going to need:

1 pound cherry tomatoes – washed
Olive oil
Coarse Salt
Black Pepper
2 tsp. sugar
Balsamic vinegar
12 oz. cooked penne pasta
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the tomatoes in a baking pan – in a single layer – and drizzle with olive oil. Salt generously. Season with black pepper.

Roast the tomatoes for about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and flip tomatoes – do not worry if they break up a bit.

Sprinkle the sugar on them and drizzle them with balsamic vinegar. Return your pan to the oven. Roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Until tomatoes are cooked and caramelized.

Place the cooked pasta in a large skillet and add olive oil. Add the roasted tomatoes and the parsley. Toss well and heat through.

Serve and enjoy!

Print the Penne & Roasted Tomatoes Recipe Here

This salad is loaded with zucchini, cucumbers, spinach and tomatoes. It is then tossed in a sweet vinaigrette dressing. The final result is a delicious salad that can be served as a side or eaten as is. It is great for lunchboxes as well. Here is what you need for this:

½ cup canola oil
½ cup white vinegar oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ pound cooked spaghettini – drained and shocked in cold water
1 cup diced zucchini – unpeeled and raw (about 1 small one)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced cucumber – peeled and seeded (about 1 small one)
¾ cup julienned spinach leaves or torn baby spinach leaves
½ cup finely sliced red onion

MAKE THE DRESSING:
Place the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk until emulsified. Set aside.

MAKE THE SALAD:
Place the spaghettini, zucchini, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, spinach and red onion in a bowl. Add the dressing. Toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. If necessary – if salad dries up – make a little bit of the dressing and doctor your salad by adding it in. Enjoy!

Print the Spaghettini & Vegetable Salad Recipe Here

Here’s another pasta salad for your summer! Make it for your next bbq. It will make you shine! Here is what you are going to need for this:

12 oz. cooked pasta shells
1 medium size head broccoli – cut into florets
3 celery stalks – chopped
2 cups Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

Place pasta and veggies in a bowl. Add dressing and toss to mix well. Serve and enjoy!

Print the Parmesan Peppercorn Pasta Salad Recipe Here

Pork chow mein in easy to make but it takes sometime. Chow mein means fried noodles. In this recipe you will do precisely that. You will then cook the marinated pork and place it on top of the noodles. This is what you are going to need for this:

FOR THE MARINADE:
4 tsp. oyster sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
Little bit white pepper
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
¾ pound pork loin cut into thin strips

• Mix all the ingredients – except for the pork – in a bowl. Whisk well.

• Place pork strips in a bowl. Pour marinade on pork and toss to coat well. Marinade for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

FOR THE SAUCE:
2 cups chicken stock
3 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS oyster sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. white pepper

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk well. Set aside.

FOR THE CHOW MEIN:
5 dried shitake mushrooms- soaked for 20 minutes and chopped
16 oz. cooked Capellini noodles – al dente, drained and shocked in cold water
4 TBS peanut oil
1 ½ TBS minced garlic
1 ½ TBS minced ginger
2 carrots – julienne finely
2 scallions – chopped (white, light green and dark green)

• Heat a large skillet with 2 TBS of peanut oil. Heat until oil starts to smoke.

• Add the noodles to the skillet and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes – until bottom starts to brown. Flip noodles and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

• While noodles are cooking – heat a wok style pan or skillet with the remaining peanut oil.

• When the oil is really hot, add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

• Add the pork and its marinade to the pan. Stir. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes – until pork is cooked through.

• Add the carrots, mushrooms and scallions to the pork. Mix well.

• Form a well in the middle of your pan and add the reserved chicken stock and cornstarch liquid.

• Mix well and bring to a boil. Stir until sauce is thick.

• Pour the cooked pork on the crisp noodles.

• Serve and enjoy!

Print the Pork Chow Mein Recipe Here

Here is a real easy and affordable recipe for Thai peanut noodles. I went ahead and used a package of Chinese flat rice noodles because I had some. You can use linguine or spaghettini if you prefer.

Here is what you are going to need:

12 oz. linguine, spaghettini or flat rice noodles
8 green onions, white, light green and green parts chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 medium carrots, grated
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta as per package instructions.

In a bowl, whisk together the honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce.

Heat a large skillet with the sesame oil. Add the carrots and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the onions, ginger and garlic. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the peanut butter dressing. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Add the pasta and toss to coat well. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

Print the Thai Peanut Noodles Recipe Here