Katrina's Alfredo Sauce

From my sister Katrina, I present the best alfredo sauce in all the land:

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons cream cheese, cut into cubes

3/4 cup fresh, shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat milk, cream, and butter until hot and steaming, but do not boil.

Add cream cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, and garlic powder. Whisk until melted and smooth.

Serve with your choice of pasta. We like to serve the sauce and pasta separate, so we can pour some over our vegetables too! It's excellent with steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Image from Valentina's Corner

Easy Garlic Butter Parmesan Pasta

1 lb. fettuccine or linguine
salt
4 oz parmesan, grated (2 cups), plus extra for ­serving
5 tablespoons butter, cut into 5 pieces

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain pasta. Set aside.

Turn the heat to low and add one piece of the butter to the empty pot. Melt the butter, then add the garlic. Stir and cook the garlic in the butter for 1 minute. Then add the drained pasta to the pot.

Sprinkle in the parmesan*, butter, reserved cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pot. Set pot over low heat and using tongs, toss and stir really well to thoroughly combine, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let pasta sit for 1 minute.

Remove the lid and toss pasta again vigorously for about 45 seconds so the sauce thoroughly coats the pasta and any cheese clumps are emulsified into sauce. (Mixture may look wet at this point, but pasta will absorb excess moisture as it cools slightly.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and sprinkle with extra cheese if desired.

*To incorporate the grated cheese without clumping, sprinkle it over the pasta in stages, tossing as you go.

Adapted from 5boysbaker.com

Beach Street Lemon Chicken Pasta

1 pound linguine, spaghetti or fettuccine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1-2 medium lemons

2 to 3 green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Marinade:

½ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 2-3 medium lemons

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

¼ cup soy sauce

1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch strips or bite-size pieces

For the marinade, combine the olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, cajun seasoning, lemon juice, parsley, and soy sauce. Toss the marinade and chicken together in a shallow dish or ziploc bag. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or up to 12 (better flavor the longer it marinades).

For the pasta, combine juice of one lemon, lemon zest, olive oil, green onions and fresh parsley together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot off the heat. Pour the lemon juice/olive oil/green onion mixture over pasta and toss lightly to combine.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat; add the marinade AND the chicken to the skillet, moving the chicken pieces so they are in a single layer. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through, 4-5 minutes.

Pour the chicken and cooked marinade over the pasta in the pot. Toss with Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Recipe and image from melskitchencafe.com

Instant Pot All-In-One Alfredo

https://cookingwithkarli.com/dump-and-start-instant-pot-alfredo/

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
3 cups heavy cream*
2 tsp dry minced garlic
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. linguine pasta, broken in half
1 1/2 - 2 cups freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. Do not stir, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, that's okay.

Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes, and then let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes, then quick release.

Remove lid. Let the noodles and sauce sit for a minute or so until it stops bubbling - this is very important! Your cheese will not melt into the sauce if it doesn't cool for a minute or two.
Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese.

This recipe can be easily halved. Leftovers are best when you add a splash of milk to reheat.

*For a lighter version, substitute 5 cups broth & 2 cups evaporated milk.

adapted from cookingwithkarli.com

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

2 c. macaroni
1/4 c. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheese
dash garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Boil pasta until done, drain. In the microwave or on the stovetop, melt butter. Whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the milk. Heat and stir until thick, then add the cheese and seasonings. Add cooked macaroni. 

Tomato and Mozzarella Baked Penne

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 14oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lb. penne pasta
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
2/3 c. parmesan

Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and cook over med-high heat for 1 min. Add tomatoes and seasoning and simmer rapidly, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 15 min. Add salt & pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Toss pasta with sauce. Place 1/2 of pasta in a greased 9x13 baking dish (or 2-8x8's). Cover with half of mozzarella and parmesan. Top with remaining pasta and cheeses. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

adapted from annies-eats.com

Asparagus Linguine

3 c. (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 lb.)
1 (16 oz.) pkg. linguine (or similiar pasta)
4 slices bacon
1 c. chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. shredded parmesan

Cook bacon in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until crisp; cool slightly. Remove bacon from the pan, reserving 2 tsp. drippings in pan. Crumble bacon.
Steam asparagus. Cook pasta according to pasta package directions.  Meanwhile, continue with the recipe.  Drain pasta when done and set aside.
Add onion, garlic, and oregano to bacon drippings in the pan; saute 4 min. or until onion is lightly browned.
Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes.
Add broth, bring to a boil, and cook for 2-5 min. to desired consistency.
Stir in butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and remove from heat.  Place asparagus and pasta mixture in a large bowl; add tomato mixture and liquid, tossing well.
Top with bacon and shredded cheese.  Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Carbonara

1 lb. bowtie pasta
1 lb. bacon
1 c. mushrooms, sliced or chopped (optional)
1 onion, chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (less or more according to preference)
1 c. chicken broth
2 egg yolks
1 c. parmesan cheese, divided
½ c. cream or milk
1 Tbs. parsley
Pepper to taste
Optional: diced cooked chicken

Cook pasta according to package directions. Saute bacon, cooking until about half-way done, then add onion and mushrooms. When bacon is almost done, add garlic and cayenne and cook until bacon is crisp. Add chicken broth and simmer until it’s reduced by half. Stir in chicken if desired.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, 2/3 c. parmesan, cream, parsley, and pepper together. Slowly add a ladle full of pasta water to it to temper the eggs. Combine cream mixture and bacon mixture. Let simmer a couple of minutes until it thickens. Add to pasta, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.  Serves 6-8 adults.

Holly's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups macaroni
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dry ground mustard
pepper to taste

Boil the macaroni until tender.  Meanwhile, mix the milk, cream of chicken soup, and seasonings in an 8x8 baking pan. Drain the macaroni and combine with the soup mix and cheese.  Top with more shredded cheese if desired.  Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour.

Beef Stroganoff

½ lb. hamburger
1 t. dried minced onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ can water
dash of garlic powder
½ c. sour cream
3 c. wide egg noodles, cooked as directed

Brown meat & onion, salt & pepper, drain grease. Combine soup, water, and garlic powder and add to hamburger. Bring to a simmer. Add sour cream and cooked noodles. Stir and serve.

Pepperoni Pasta Bake

2 c. dry wagon wheel, fiori, or similar pasta (6 oz.)
1 can italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/3 c. tomato paste (1/2 of a 6oz. can)
¼ c. red wine (or grape juice)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. sugar
8 oz. sausage
½ c. chopped onion
¼ c. chopped green pepper
½ c. chopped pepperoni (1/2 of a 3.5oz. pkg.)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta following package directions. Drain, cover, and keep warm. (A little olive oil will prevent pasta from sticking to itself.) In a blender or food processor combine tomatoes, tomato paste, grape juice, basil, and sugar. Process till smooth. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. In a large skillet cook sausage, onion, and green pepper. Drain fat. Add sausage mixture and pepperoni to tomato sauce. Stir. Add in the cooked pasta. Stir together. Place mixture in an 8x8 pan. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375° until cheese is melted.

Fettuccine Alfredo

8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
½ c. butter
½ c. heavy whipping cream
¾ c. grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp. salt
dash of pepper
chopped fresh parsley (opt.)

Cook fettuccine in salted water. For alfredo sauce, heat the butter and whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper until mixture is smooth. Drain fettuccine. Pour sauce over noodles and stir until well coated. Sprinkle with parsley. Add in cooked chicken if desired.

Ravioli and Cheese Bake

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1/4 cup italian dressing
2 (13 oz) pkg.'s frozen cheese ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, broth, and dressing in a bowl. Place fresh or frozen ravioli in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over ravioli and mix lightly. Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 1 hr. Remove foil, stir a little if needed, and sprinkle with cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese melts, or turn off oven and place dish back in oven till cheese melts.

Baked Penne With Mornay Sauce

1/2 lb of penne pasta
1/2 onion, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or milk
fresh ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch salt
½ cup grated Romano cheese

Cook Penne in salted water till al dente, about 11 minutes. Melt butter in sauce pan, soften onions, and add flour stirring constantly to make a roux, about 1-2 min, (mixture should be a pale yellow color and foamy looking, do not brown it). Slowly stir in chicken stock, bring to boil. Add heavy cream, stir constantly, return to boil, then simmer a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with fresh ground pepper and nutmeg (do not add salt yet). Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese. Taste, adjust seasonings, add salt if necessary. Combine with Penne. Pour into a casserole dish; top with breadcrumbs or more grated cheese if desired. Bake at 350° till warmed through.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

12 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
½ to 1 tsp. chili powder
1 3oz. pkg. cream cheese
taco sauce (I use mild)
1 c. shredded cheese
½ c. crushed Fritos
4 green onions, sliced
sour cream to garnish

Cook pasta shells in large pot until tender. Drain, separate, and cool on wax paper. Brown ground beef and onion in a skillet, drain. Stir in chili powder, cream cheese, and ¼ c. taco sauce. Heat over med-low heat until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Fill the shells with beef mixture. Place shells in a greased 8x8 pan. Pour taco sauce over shells. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 20 min. Remove foil. Sprinkle with cheese and fritos. Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Garnish with green onions and sour cream.