Basic Pasta Recipe

Putting this in a safe place for my hubby! ;)

1 1/2C Bob's Semolina Flour (guess where we got the recipe?)
1/2 tsp salt, optional
2 eggs or 3 egg whites, beaten
2 TBSP Water
2 TBSP Olive Oil

Combine Semolina Flour and salt.  Add beaten eggs (or egg whites), water and oil.  Mix to make a stiff dough.  Knead 10 minutes or until dough is elastic.  Wrap dough in a towel or place in a plastic bag and let rest 20 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out to desired thickness and cut as desired.  Bring large pot of water containing 1/2 tsp oil to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until tender.  When making lasagna, no need to boil noodles.  Add directly to your recipe.  Serve with your favorite sauce or pesto or toss with olive oil or butter, pepper and Parmesan cheese.

** Note from package:  Many People prefer making pasta using 50% Semolina & 50% Unbleached White Flour. **

Pistachio Pesto

My kids loved this one!

1 Cup packed spinach

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, quartered

12 oz dried pasta, cooked and drained

Put the spinach, oil, nuts, cheese, salt, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Toss with pasta and serve. Makes 6 cups.

Nutritional per cup: 361 calories; 10g protein; 16g fat (3g sat. fat); 44g carbs; 2g fiber; 60 mg calcium; 2mg iron; 253mg sodium.

**I added some shredded chicken to the mix before serving**

Clam spaghetti

Don't let the title scare you away like my husband did. This is easy and yummy.

1 pkg. spaghetti, fettucinne or linguine noodles
A few cloves of garlic
1/4 C. olive oil
2 cans clams, not drained
1-2 Tbsp. parsley
lemons, cut into wedges
parmesan cheese

Get the noodles cooking. Everything else comes together really quickly.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Add garlic and brown. Add clams, with their juice and parsley. Heat through and let simmer while noodles finish cooking.

Drain noodles and toss with clam sauce. Garnish with lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Both toppings are important to the flavor of this dish.

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese (Rachael Ray)

I was unsure of this one, but it was good and my kids loved it too. Just don't tell them it's called Mac and Cheese or they'll have expectations that are very different from the result.


Salt
1 pound regular or whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
A few grates fresh nutmeg
1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
1 box frozen chopped artichokes (10-ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
Ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
PreparationPre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, veggies, some salt and pepper to the sauce, and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

I didn't actually use parmesan cheese so I don't know why it's called that, but this was really good and surprisingly easy.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (enough to serve your family)
1/2 C. milk
1 egg
1 C. seasoned bread crumbs
Spaghetti noodles
Spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese

Place the chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it until it's 1/4-1/2 inch thick.

Get noodles cooking.

Mix 1 egg and 1/2 C. milk in shallow dish. Dip chicken in that mixture then coat in seasoned bread crumbs.

Cook it in a skillet with olive oil. It'll be golden and pretty on both sides. Put some mozarella cheese on the top and let it melt, either with the lid on the skillet or in your oven.

Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles with extra spaghetti sauce.