Pasta

INGREDIENTS 8 ounces uncooked pasta 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 tablespoon flour 3-4 cloves garlic minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth 1 cup heavy/whipping cream 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken shredded 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving 1 small handful fresh basil torn/chopped Salt & pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions. When the pasta is about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once it melts, sprinkle the flour in and cook for about a minute, stirring often. Add in the garlic, tomato paste, and wine. Give it a good stir and let it bubble for about one minute. Whisk in the cream, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and chicken, and cook it for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Stir in the parmesan and basil and take the skillet off the heat. Season generously with salt & pepper. Prior to draining the pasta, reserve some of the hot pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until coated. If needed, pour in a splash of the hot pasta water to the sauce to thin it out a bit. Serve immediately with more parmesan if desired.

INGREDIENTS 8 ounces uncooked pasta 2 tablespoons butter, diced into 1-tablespoon chunks 1 teaspoon freshly-ground coarse black pepper 2 ounces finely-grated Pecorino-Romano cheese INSTRUCTIONS Boil the pasta water. Fill a large stockpot about halfway full of water (roughly 3 quarts) and bring it to a rolling boil. Generously season the water with fine sea salt (about 2 tablespoons). Bloom the pepper. Meanwhile, as the pasta water heats, melt the butter in a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add the pepper and let it cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. If you have an electric stove, you’ll want to remove the pan from the hot burner entirely. Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just barely al dente. Toss the pasta. Use tongs to quickly transfer the pasta directly to the sauté pan with the melted butter and pepper. Add 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pan and toss the pasta briefly to combine. Add in half of the cheese and toss the pasta briefly to coat. Add in the remaining half of the cheese and continue tossing the pasta, adding in a few extra tablespoons of starchy pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce, until the cheese is melted and forms a smooth and glossy sauce. Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with an extra twist of black pepper and/or extra Pecorino if desired. This pasta is definitely best served hot out of the pan, so please enjoy it right away!

INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, minced 10 large garlic cloves, minced Kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 pound ziti 1 1/2 pounds whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese 8 sprigs fresh basil, stemmed INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 375°F. MAKE THE SAUCE: In a large skillet set over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and oregano and stir to blend. Cook, continuing to stir from time to time, until the tomatoes start to smell cooked and the raw garlic mellows, 18 to 20 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. COOK THE PASTA: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous handful of salt; the pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the pasta and stir with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom. Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta in a large colander. COMBINE THE PASTA AND SAUCE: Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to rest for 10 minutes-ideally the pasta is nicely coated with the sauce but it still looks saucy and not dried out. If it becomes too thick, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta water. BAKE THE PASTA: Fill an 8.5 x 11-inch baking dish with half of the ziti, sprinkling half of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta as you fill the dish. Top with all of the remaining pasta and cheese. Bake until the top browns, 15 to 18 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil the ziti until the top is browned and the sauce bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. SERVE: Tear the basil and sprinkle over the top. Serve family style.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts boneless and skinless (about 3 breasts) 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano Cheese divided 2 cups Zesty Italian Dressing 1 package 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1 box 16 oz rotini pasta INSTRUCTIONS Unpack your chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker and with a fork, poke each breast 3 to 4 times. Sprinkle pepper, garlic powder, and half of the shredded cheese. Gently pour the Olive Garden dressing over the chicken Sprinkle the remaining of the shredded cheese and add the cream cheese on top. Cover and cook on High for 4 ½ hours to 5 hours. Cook your pasta. Drain. Set aside. You may want to add a little bit of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) or butter, so it does not stick too much together. Once cooked, take the chicken out on a plate and shred the chicken using 2 forks. Place the chicken back into the slow cooker and mix well with the sauce. Mix until the chicken is all coated with the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and mix well until pasta and chicken are well coated. Keep warm until ready to serve Notes Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days You can cook the chicken on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours and LOW for 6 to 8 hours You can freeze the chicken once shredded in safe freezer bags for up to 3 months You don’t need to add the pasta to the chicken. You can serve the chicken over rice, over pasta, you can also use it in a baked casserole, and it is excellent in a sandwich as leftovers.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 pound linguine 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 fresh sage leaves Juice of 1/2 lemon 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for serving INSTRUCTIONS Cook the linguine according to package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Return the linguine to the pot. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves. Cook until the butter browns and the sage becomes almost crispy, about 7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the butter to the linguine and toss to coat. Stir in the pasta water. Cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed. Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper, seasoning to taste.

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound dried spaghetti 1/4 cup olive oil 5 GARLIC cloves, sliced 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY leaves, chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated PARMESAN cheese 1 tablespoon UNSALTED BUTTER INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put a large skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is soft and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes along with the reserved pasta water to the garlic. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper as needed. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, Parmesan, and butter. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS 2 cup cooked chicken 3 cup spaghetti, uncooked and broken into two-inch pieces 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 cup finely diced green pepper 1/4 cup finely diced onion 1 jar (4-ounce) diced pimentos, drained 2 cup reserved chicken broth from pot 1 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 1/8 tsp. (to 1/4 teaspoon) cayenne pepper Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup additional grated sharp cheddar cheese INSTRUCTIONS Cook 1 cut up fryer chicken and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar. Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup 2% or whole milk 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 1/2 cups extra-sharp yellow cheddar, shredded INSTRUCTIONS In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in flour and cook until it begins to smell nutty and fragrant, about 45-60 seconds. Whisk in milk and stock, and continue whisking vigorously until flour and butter have dissolved. Bring to sauce to a bubble and thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Once sauce is thick, remove from heat and mix in mustard and cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted.

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound dried angel hair pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced bacon 3 garlic cloves, sliced 3 cups medium-diced tomatoes 1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and bacon and cook until almost crisp, about 3 minutes. Don’t drain off the bacon fat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, making sure it doesn’t get too brown. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the pasta and reserved pasta water to the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS Kosher salt 1 pound dried angel hair pasta 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 GARLIC cloves, sliced 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes with juices 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon UNSALTED BUTTER 1/4 cup FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY leaves, chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated PARMESAN cheese INSTRUCTIONS In a very large pot, bring 5 quarts water and 3 tablespoons salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Occasionally give the pasta a stir so it doesn’t stick together. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, put a large skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the garlic becomes aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with juices and red pepper flakes, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stirring the noodles into the sauce. Add a splash or two of the pasta water if the sauce looks too dry. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, parsley, and parmesan. Serve immediately.