Rigatoni with Sausage & Zucchini

I found this one here, via stephmodo.com
I really enjoyed this one and I went a little easy on the zucchini, but didn't need to. My family loved it! I did use less cheese than indicated in this recipe and it was great!

1 16 oz. box of rigatoni (I prefer Barilla or De Cecco)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. best-quality mild Italian sausage, casings removed (you can buy it without casings at the farmer's market)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic*
1 medium red onion, halved and then sliced
1 lb. zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (about 3 small)
sea salt + freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Cook pasta in a stockpot according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan, cook garlic, onion, and zucchini until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and reserved sausage then cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour the sausage mixture into the stockpot full of reserved pasta and carefully toss. Mix in about 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and then sprinkle the remainder on top just before serving. Enjoy immediately!

Bow Ties with Chicken and Dried-Tomato Pesto

8 oz. bow-tie pasta
2 cups frozen peas and/or chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups chopped or shredded purchased roasted chicken or cooked chicken
1/4 cup fresh basil, snipped
Freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions, except add peas to pasta water for the last 2 minutes of cooking time, if using. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water when draining pasta and peas. Place drained pasta and peas back into the pot.

2. Meanwhile, for dried-tomato pesto, in a food processor or blender, combine the drained dried tomatoes, olive oil, almonds, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until almost smooth. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and blend until combined.

3. To the pasta (and peas if using) in the pan, add reserved 1/2 cup pasta water, dried-tomato pesto, roasted red pepper (if using), and chicken. Toss gently with snipped basil. If desired, serve with additional Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut
into 1-inch cubes
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup water
* 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 1/2 cups whole milk
* Pinch nutmeg
* 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
* 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
* 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water
into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the
squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly
and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti
cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with
more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add
the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to
a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until
the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in
the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add
the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in
the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to
taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees
F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of
the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on
the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce
over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40
minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the
lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top
is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes
before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to
cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food
processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release
one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat
explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times
then process on high speed until smooth.

Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo

INGREDIENTS

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pound fettuccini pasta
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 2 tablespoons garlic and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and half-and-half, stirring until smooth and creamy. Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses; stir until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken mixture, tomatoes and sour cream. Serve over cooked fettuccini.

I found this on allrecipes.com and really liked it. I actually kept the tomatoes separate as a garnish, rather than stirring them in, and also added chopped fresh basil.

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

1 pound ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano (optional)
1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan
1 15-ounce container ricotta
1 10-ounce box frozen

spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove liquid
1 cup grated mozzarella

Cook the ziti according to the package instructions.

Heat oven to 400° F.

In a large pot, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the beef, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until n

o trace of pink remains, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. Add the garlic and oregano (if using) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan, ricotta, and spinach and toss again. Spread the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual ramekins and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until the mozzarella melts, about 15 minutes.

Tip: If you prefer, substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef and chopped broccoli for the spinach.

To Freeze: Assemble (but do not bake) the casserole. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Cover and heat in a 350° F oven for 1 hour. Uncover and heat until the mozzarella melts, about 10 minutes more.