Linguine with Onion, Bacon, and Parmesan

My step-mom sent me this recipe awhile ago. It's from familytime.com. I have yet to try it, but she sent it to me because it's similar to a dish she had at Olive Garden and loved! Happy eating!

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips

2 onions, sliced thin

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound linguine

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. 

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. 

Put the pan over moderate heat. Add the onions, the thyme, the red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until just done, about 12 minutes. 

Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. 

Drain the linguine and toss with the bacon, onions, 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, the Parmesan, parsley, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. 

If the sauce seems too thick, add more of the pasta water. 

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Fried Ravioli

This dish works great as an appetizer or a main dish. Sometimes, my hubby and I will make it for dinner when we're having a low-key night watching movies or something. I always have him help me, because it can be time consuming to get all the raviolis dipped and cooked. It works much smoother when you have 2 sets of hands!

1 package fresh or frozen ravioli (We always use cheese ravioli)
italian bread crumbs
garlic powder (optional)
italian seasoning (optional)
shredded parmesan cheese (Not the kind in the green Kraft container. Make sure it's shredded)
1 egg
1 cup milk
vegetable oil, for frying
1 jar marinara or pizza sauce

Cook raviolis according to package directions
While ravioli is cooking, heat oil. There are a couple ways you can do this; I've tried both. You can take a small pot and pour a large amount of oil into it or you can take a skillet and use less oil. With the pot, you drop the ravioli in and don't have to worry about turning it, as long as there's enough oil. With the skillet, you have to turn the ravioli a couple times
Place milk into a small bowl and beat in egg
Place bread crumbs in a shallow pan. I always add garlic powder and italian seasoning for extra flavor. If you do this, make sure to mix the crumbs after you season them.
In small batches (5-6 at a time), dip the ravioli in the egg/milk, then the bread crumb mixture, then place in oil.
Fry until golden brown.
Once they're finished, put them on a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with shredded parm.
Serve with warm marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This yummy recipe comes from my friend Jessica B. I have to be honest and say that I had never heard of garlic pepper until she sent me this recipe. (I hope I'm not the only one!) It sounds like a seasoning that I definitely want to try.
As a side note, I'm ALWAYS on the hunt for good recipes to post here on the blog. So, if you have something, send it my way! Email it to me at foodie5287@yahoo.com

1 (12 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
10 slices bacon
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dry ranch salad dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/2 cup milk, or as needed
1 large tomato, chopped
1 (4.25 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in rotini pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook until evenly brown. Drain and chop.
3.In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and garlic pepper. Stir in milk until smooth. Place bacon, tomato, black olives, pasta and cheese in bowl and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Toss with additional milk if the salad seems a little dry.

Meatballs

This meatball recipe comes from Jamie M. They would be delicious on their own, served with pasta, or as an appetizer at your next get together!

1 lb of ground turkey (i like em healthier like this. you can also do equal parts ground pork and ground beef to be more real.)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup parm ramono blend
1/2 tbsp italian blend season
1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped or powder.)
1/4 cup of whatever marinara sauce you're using

mix up. make balls. put sauce in a big pan and add 1/2 jar water. add the balls in when the sauce is hot and bubbly. put the lid on. cook at medium high heat for at least an hour. turn after half and add more water/sauce as needed.

soooo yummy and with the turkey its more protein and less fat. i always end up adding more parm and bread crumbs to the mix though just because i like it :)

Penne Beef Pasta

This recipe is another good one from Emily B. Enjoy!

4 servings

Prep/Total Time: 30 Min.

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree ( i usually can't find a 15 ounce can so i get the 2 small cans and use it all even though its more then 15 ounces)
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (optional)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

I always add more spices, The first time I made it I just followed this and the Italian just wasn't enough. If you like a little spice 2 teaspoons of Crushed Red Peppers are good in it as well as a yellow onion.

 

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add spinach; cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Drain pasta; stir into beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cheesy Baked Ziti

Greetings, fellow foodies!
I sort of made this one up as I went along and thankfully, it came out good! This is another one where the seasonings are to taste, so go with what you think is good!

1 box ziti noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Traditional)
garlic powder
crushed red pepper
Mrs. Dash Table Blend Seasoning
shredded cheese (I use a mild or sharp cheddar, along with the Italian blend or a Parmesan Romano blend)

Cook noodles according to package, but go just to al dente. So, if it says 10-11 minutes, go 9 or 10.
Drain noodles.
Lightly spray an 11x13 baking dish with Pam or other non stick cooking spray.
Pour noodles into pan. Pour in sauce and stir until noodles are coated.
Add garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and Mrs. Dash to taste. (I tend to go a little heavy on my seasonings. We like it that way!) Stir again, until everything is mixed well.
Sprinkle on cheese. I do a thin layer of the cheddar, then add a greater amount of the Italian cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, take off foil, and place back in oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Before serving, you can sprinkle with parmesan.
I always serve this with garlic bread, and sometimes a side salad or Caesar salad.

Cheesy Butter Noodles

I stole this recipe from my step-mom! It's easy & yummy.

Ingredients
1 bag egg noodles
1 stick butter (Use real butter, NOT margarine. It won't taste the same!)
chopped chives (You can use fresh, or dried. I keep some dried ones in my spice cabinet.)
grated parmesan romano cheese (Don't use the kind in the green Kraft container. While I love that kind, it doesn't work here! You can freshly grate it yourself or they sell the glass jars in any grocery store.)

Directions
Cook noodles according to package. Drain. Rinse for just a minute. You want them warm, not scalding. Set aside.
Melt your stick of butter over low heat. Once it's completely melted, add chives to taste. Allow the chives to cook in the butter for a minute or two.
Pour your butter mixture over the noodles and mix well.
Add parm romano to taste and mix well. We use a lot of cheese around here! :) If the noodles are too hot, the cheese will get clumpy.
I like to throw some freshly grated black pepper in there too.
Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Pasta Salad

I make this a lot and have gotten quite a few requests for it. It's filling, easy to make, and can serve quite a few on its own. It can also be easily doubled.
I always make a crusty French bread to serve with it. (I usually just get the kind from the deli you heat up or the Pillsbury brand.)
I've also served this with fruit, cheese, and crackers beforehand.

Ingredients:
1 package boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins
1 box bowtie noodles (or regular rotini or garden rotini. I also received a suggestion from Beth C., who thought this recipe would be good with tortellini. I haven't tried it yet.)
1 bottle zesty Italian dressing
1 bottle garlic and herb 30 min marinade (either Lowry's brand or the store brand)
1 cucumber
1 tomato (or about 1/2 package of grape tomatoes)
1 green pepper (optional. Ive made it with the green pepper, but don't usually, just because my husband and son don't eat them)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Marinade in garlic and herb sauce for at least 30 min. Longer for fuller flavor. I always put mine in a big Ziploc baggie and toss in the fridge.
Grill or pan cook chicken. I've done both and liked it both ways. If you pan cook it, you have to add water in the pan to keep the chicken from drying out too fast. I just do a tbsp at a time when it looks dry.
While the chicken is cooking, chop your vegetables and set them aside in a large bowl. I cut my cucumbers into rounds and then each round into 1/4 pieces. On the tomato, I do a rough chop. Or if I'm using the grape tomatoes, little slices.
When the chicken is cooked, set it aside and begin the water for your noodles. Cook according to package.
Chop the chicken and put it in the same bowl as the veggies.
Once the noodles have cooked, rinse them under cold water. You don't want to add the scalding noodles to the chicken and veggies.
Once the noodles have cooled, add them to the bowl with the chicken and veggies.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add zesty Italian dressing. I use at least 3/4 if not the whole bottle. But you can adjust to taste. Mix everything well and serve. 
This can be served immediately, while it's still warm, or cold. It's also good the next day.
Enjoy! :)