PESTO PASTA

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 cup pesto
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

¾ lb. linguine

3 T butter

2 ½ T olive oil

1 ½ T minced garlic (6 cloves)

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 16)

1 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

½ lemon, zest of, grated

3 T fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling walted water, add the linguine, and cook for 7 – 10 minutes (according to package directions).

Meanwhile, in another large heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic, sauté for 1 minute.  Be careful, the garlic burns easily.

Add the shrimp, 1 tsp of salt, and the pepper and sauté until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.  Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put back in the pot.  Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Tortellini Soup

1 pound sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
3 cans beef broth
3 cans chicken broth
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup sliced carrots
1 sliced zucchini
1 sliced yellow squash
1 chopped red pepper
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
8 oz frozen tortellini
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
2 T. parsley

Brown sausage and drain grease.  Add broth, tomatoes. tomato sauce, onions, garlic, spices, carrots and red pepper.  Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes until tender.  Add zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms and tortellini and simmer for another 3 minutes.  Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

World's Best Lasagne

1 pound sweet italian sausage
3/4 lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbls. sugar
1-1/2 tsps. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbls. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 oz. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 T. salt, pepper, and 2 T. parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Cook Lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 - 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4. To assemble, spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1-1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Then, noodles, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil sprayed with Pam.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil, bake another 25. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.