Pasta Party!

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I love pasta. Once, when my dad and step-mom were visiting, we went to a popular Italian restaurant (part of a chain) that, at the time, was offering a never-ending pasta meal: for one price, you got several kinds of pasta and sauce. When I ordered that, Dad smiled while my younger two laughed.

"Did I call it?" Dad asked. Yes, he had.

The punchline is that I love pasta.

That said, here are six pasta recipes to help you through the day. Enjoy!

SPICY BROCCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE PASTA

This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World, page 45. Makes 6 servings. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.

Ingredients

1 lb. pasta (any kind)

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. sausage, cut into 1" pieces

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups chopped broccoli rabe or broccoli florets

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Crushed red pepper flakes or hot chili oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grated Romano cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until browned. Add garlic and broccoli rabe, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, parsley, and pepper flakes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Top with cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 493; Protein: 23 g; Carbs: 58 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 3 g; Total fat: 18 g; Saturated fat: 4 g; Sodium: 503 mg

ABRUZZI FISH STEW

This was in the October 2016 issue Runner's World, page 45. Makes 8 servings. It is adapted from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious, by Maria Rodale. Available in October, published by Rodale, owner of Runner’s World.

This can be viewed online at http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/have-a-pasta-party-from-scratch/.

Ingredients

2 lb. assorted fish and shellfish (such as snapper, cod, red mullet, clams, mussels, and shrimp)

4 large tomatoes, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. spaghetti

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut fish into 2" to 3" pieces, scrub the clams and mussels, and peel and devein the shrimp. In a heavy-bottomed 12" ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, combine tomatoes, garlic, oil, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and bake for 10 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper, and gently add to tomatoes. Cover and bake for another 10 minutes or until fish is opaque. Scatter shellfish over the top, cover, and bake for another 10 minutes or until all shells have opened and shrimp is opaque.

While seafood bakes, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta to seafood pan and mix gently to combine. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information: Calories per serving: 415; Protein: 27 g; Carbs: 48 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 4 g; Total fat: 12 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Sodium: 307 mg

SLOW COOKER TOMATO MEAT SAUCE

This begins, “Serve over spaghetti squash "noodles" for a diabetes-friendly meal!”

http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7422-slow-cooker-tomato-meat-sauce

Ingredients

1 lb. 90% lean ground beef

2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1 large onion, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)

1 tablespoon crushed garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

3 fresh bay leaves

1 tablespoon sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1/4 cup roasted red pepper

Directions

Turn slow cooker on 250 degrees.

Cook onion and ground beef in a skillet on medium high heat until meat is no longer pink.

While onions and beef are cooking, add remaining ingredients to slow cooker - tomatoes, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, sundried tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper, and roasted red pepper.

Add beef and onions and stir. Place lid on and allow to cook on 200-250 degrees for 4 hours.

Remove bay leaves before serving.

Nutritional Facts: Servings 8; Calories 150; Total Fat 3 g; Saturated Fat 1 g; Cholesterol 35 mg; Sodium 660 mg; Potassium 830 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Dietary Fiber 5 g; Protein 16 g

CHEESE-STUFFED SHELLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

This is from Familytime, and begins, “A traditional Italian-style favorite is made easier for you! Combine Buitoni Marinara Sauce with stuffed shells, add a tossed salad and warm bread and sit down to a satisfying meal!” Serves: 6; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 dried jumbo whole-wheat or regular pasta shells, prepared according to package directions

1 cup (4 ounces)shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup fat free or reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 container (15 oz.) BUITONI® refrigerated Marinara Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Combine 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and pepper in a medium bowl. Stuff each shell evenly with cheese mixture; place in ungreased 12 x 71/2-inch (2-quart rectangular) baking dish. Pour sauce over shells.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For Freeze Ahead:

Prepare as above; do not bake. Do not top with remaining mozarella cheese. Cover; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

SPAETZLE

This is from Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, “Expand the concept of pasta a bit, and you arrive at spaetzle, the quickly made and rather thin dough (somewhat akin to savory pancake batter) that is often “grated” into boiling water on a spaetzle maker, a tool that looks like a grater without sharp edges. I find spaetzle makers unnervingly tricky, so I prefer to do what I've often seen done by Alsatians, for whom spaetzle is traditional: drop the batter by the spoonful into boiling water. As with all pasta, the more fragile the batter is, the lighter the result will be, so don't make it too stiff; just stiff enough to hold together.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

This was featured in “THE MINIMALIST; Fresh Pasta At Ferrari Speed” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Salt

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

3 eggs

1 cup milk, more if needed

2 to 4 tablespoons butter or olive oil

Chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

PreparationSet a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. In a bowl, combine flour with pepper and a large pinch of salt. Lightly beat together eggs and milk, and add to flour, stirring. If necessary, add a little more milk until mixture has the consistency of pancake batter.

Scoop a tablespoon or so of batter, and drop it into water; small pieces may break off, but batter should remain largely intact and form a disk. Repeat, using about one-third to one-fourth the batter, depending on the size of the pot. When spaetzle rise to top a couple of minutes later (you may have to loosen them from the bottom, but they will pop right up), cook another minute or so, then remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Drain spaetzle; at this point you can toss them with a bit of oil and refrigerate, covered, for up to a day. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add spaetzle a few at a time, and quickly brown on both sides. Serve hot, garnished with parsley or chives.

SIRI’S ONE-POT MEXICAN PASTA

This comes from Siri Daly in a recent TODAY Show Recipes email. It begins, “Give the dish some color and style it your way with a variety of toppings like chopped avocado, thinly sliced scallions and spicy jalapeños.” Makes 6-8 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 package store-bought taco seasoning

12 ounces frozen squash, thawed

8 ounces pasta

2 cups chicken stock

8 ounces store-bought jarred taco sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, plus more for serving

Chopped avocado, scallions and jalapeños, for serving (optional)

Preparation

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Add the taco seasoning and squash, and cook for a few more minutes, until everything is combined.

Add the pasta, chicken stock and taco sauce and bring to a boil.

Stir everything up, cover the pot, lower to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

Uncover, add the cheese, and simmer until the cheese has melted and sauce has thickened. Add a little more cheese on the top before serving, plus your favorite garnishes like chopped avocado, scallions and jalapeños.