Chipotle Gouda Mac & Cheese, from Shelli

* Kosher salt
* 1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
* 1 quart milk
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 12 ounces chipotle gouda, grated (4 cups) eta: I used 8 ounce and it was fine!
* 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated (2 cups)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* Panko

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Add salt to large pot of boiling water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gouda, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked pasta and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes, or large casserole dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine with panko, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese, from Amber

3 cups pasta, uncooked
3 Tbl. butter, unsalted
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 ¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 5 minutes or until it is just under al dente. Drain and place in the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta and stir until well combined. Cook on high for 2 – 3 hours stirring about every 30 minutes. The pasta should still hold its shape and the cheese is completely creamy. This makes about 6 servings as a side dish.

Spring Veggie Carbonara, suggested from Cara

From Cooking Light: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001981771

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 cup chopped seeded red bell pepper

Preparation

1. Cook peas and asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water; drain. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Combine pasta and vegetables.

2. Combine cheese and the next 3 ingredients (through eggs) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Gradually add hot cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Add bacon to pasta mixture. Cook bell pepper in drippings for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat, and stir in egg mixture. Return pan to low heat; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring constantly.

Freezer Chicken Pasta Soup, by Teresa

I cooked a couple of small chicken breasts in stock I took from the freezer (left over from boiling down a deli chicken). Took the chicken out and added half a package of ravioli, the kind from the deli section - again leftovers from the freezer. I microwaved a package of green giant "Digestive Health" mixed vegetables - carrots, spinach and white beans in an Italian-tasting butter dressing, and put that in the soup along with the chicken, and watered down the broth until it tasted right. Done.

Shazzers Warm Pasta Salad, from

Shazzers Warm Pasta Salad

1 packet of small shelled pasta
20 leaves of fresh basil torn into small pieces
2 tomatoes cut into approx 1cm size pieces (ie small) Or use cherry tomatoes x8 and cut each into 1/4's
2 spring onions sliced into small pieces
1 ball of mozzarella cheese torn into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt and 1tsp cracked black pepper for seasoning

Cook pasta first in salted water.
Drain pasta but leave around 2tbsp of cooking water in the pot with the pasta. (Keep the pasta in the cooking pot when you add the other ingredients)
Add all other ingredients being careful to spread out the mozzarella as it will want to clump together.
Very gently stir and reheat the salad for 30 seconds on the stove the cheese will melt and the basil will wilt. Be gentle as it has a tendency to want to all form one big ball.

Spinach-Sausage Pasta Bake, from Charity

Ingredients: 4 garlic cloves (minced) 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 pound rigatoni (ziti or penne would work well, too) 10 ounces Baby Spinach or chopped spinach 1 package of Italian sausage, we like Hot but mild or sweet would work as well 8-10 ounces Mozzarella cheese (6 ozs will be cubed and 2-4 ozs shredded to cover pasta) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese __________________________________________________________ Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Brown the Italian sausage and then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more. (Mince your garlic first) Cook pasta according to directions until al dente. Go ahead and preheat the over to 400 degrees now too. Back to the pan, add the crushed tomatoes and oregano to the meat and garlic and cook for a about 5 minutes. Then add the cream and cook until warmed through, another 5 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper. When the pasta is a minute or under from being done, put all the spinach in the water too and push it down into the water. Let it cook with the pasta until just wilted. Drain everything in one strainer and return it to the pasta pot. 6 ozs of Mozzarella cheese (cube it first) and the tomato sauce to the pot as well and stir it all together. You'll need to break up some of the spinach to get it more evenly distributed. Pour it all into baking dishes. I can get mine into one 3 qt rectangular Pyrex casserole dish. Top with the grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20-30 minutes.

Red and White (Sauced) Lasagna, from Barbara

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
* 1 cup milk
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 small white onion chopped
* 1 clove garlic crushed
* 1/2 pound ground beef
* 1 pound ripe tomatoes
* 1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles
* 1/2 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 pound thinly sliced ham
* 2 ounces grated parmesan cheese
* 2 teaspoons oregano
* 2 teaspoons salt
Directions

1 Melt butter with flour in saucepan over medium heat. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add milk slowly while stirring mixture with a wooden spoon. Bring sauce to boil and cook 10 minutes. Set white sauce aside to assemble the lasagna.

Peel tomatoes then remove seeds and chop. Brown ground beef in a large sauce pan over high heat with vegetable olive oil, onion and garlic. Add prepared tomatoes and water just enough to cook a thick meat sauce. Set meat sauce aside to assemble lasagna.

Lightly spray two square glass baking dishes. Preheat oven to 350. Bring to quarts of water to a boil. Stir in salt then add noodles four at a time and cook uncovered until tender but firm. Use a large fork or slotted spoon to remove cooked noodles directly to the baking dish. Spoon meat sauce into baking dish. Make four layers of noodles and put first layer of noodles on top of meat sauce. Then alternate each layer with meat sauce mozzarella and ham. In one of the layers put only white sauce with ham. Cover lasagna with sauce, grated parmesan and a sprinkle of oregano. Bake lasagna for 20 minutes. Cover lasagna with foil during baking to avoid cheese from burning.

Grown Up Ramen, from Alison

(Adapted from Real Simple)

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 7 cups chicken broth or stock
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* kosher salt
* 1 pound angel hair pasta
* 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
* 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped <---- I usually forget to add this * 1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. 2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. 3. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley. 4. Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds and Parmesan.

Honey Dijon Chicken and Mushrooms, an idea from Barb

Aaute mushrooms with EVOO and garlic -
then added in chicken breasts for about 2-3 minutes per side.
Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups white wine - simmer for 5 minutes - add 1/4 cup Honey Dijon Mustard - or more if you like and 1 tbsp honey
Simmer until sauce is thickened.
Serve over angel hair pasta

Rigatoni-Sausage Pasta Bake, an idea from Amy

I cooked some rigatoni, tossed it with chunks of hot italian sausage, roasted cauliflower and roasted mushrooms. Then I mixed in a jar of spaghetti sauce and some cottage cheese. Baked until the cottage cheese was all melty and served with fresh shredded basil on the top

Italian Sausage and Broccoli, suggested by Amy

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the farfalle pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the Italian sausage until crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and continue cooking until the sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes more. Pour off the excess grease, then pour in the chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the broccoli rabe, and cover. Cook until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 4 minutes.
3. When the broccoli rabe is done, stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until the meat sauce has thickened. Toss with the farfalle and serve.

I premade everything on Sunday and I made a few changes:
I used regular broccoli and I added mushrooms to the veggies. I also used italian sausage links.

I sauteed the sausage, garlic, and mushrooms in a little bit of EVOO and then when it was done, I set aside. I put the pasta in to cook. Our pasta pot has a steamer basket so I steamed the broccoli until it was almost tender crisp.

Tonight, I put about 26 oz. of stock into a pot, dumped the sausage and veggies in and set it to boil. I added a few handfuls of fresh spinach to the mix and cooked at a simmer until the spinach was wilty. I then added the pasta and mixed until heated through. Seasoned with crushed red pepper and then added shredded parm until it was melty. Soooo good. Oh, I omitted the butter (because I forgot.) It was a little soupy and not saucey, but I can fix that problem.

Venetian Mac and Cheese, suggested by Michelle

From Giada de Laurentiis - Every Day Pasta
Serves 4-6

Butter for pan
12 oz egg noodles, uncooked
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 TBSP chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease pan or casserole dish.

Coook noodles to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Whisk cream, milk, flour, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Blend in 1 cup fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup Mozzarella, and parsley. Add noodles & toss to coat. Blend remaining dry cheeses together.

Transfer to baking dish and cover with the rest of the cheeses.

Bake for about 15 minutes. (This wasn't enough baking time - I think I ended up baking for bout 25).

Let stand 10 min before serving. She's serious about this - the sauce will be very runny when you take it out of the oven, but it will thicken a lot upon standing.

*The original recipe called for peas and pancetta. I omitted them due to preference, but I'm sure they would be a good addition if you liked them*

Spaghetti Bake, from Barb

Whole wheat pasta cooked and drained - added to a bowl with 3 eggs beaten with 1/4 grated parmesan cheese.
Pour into a pan sprayed with Pam.
Spread 1/4 cup Sour Cream and then top with your favorite spaghetti sauce.
Bake 20 minutes at 350.
Top with Shredded Mozzarella and then bake another 10 minutes.

Spring Noode Stir-Fry w/Asparagus and Walnuts, suggested by Amy

From the "Rachael Ray Everyday" Magazine


1/4 C. dark sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger (I used dried/ground--fresh would have been better)
1/2 pound vermicelli or capellini pasta
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound asparagus, cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, halved

*In a small bowl, whisk together: 3 tablespoons sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper.
*In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
*Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast-2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over high heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peas and sesame oil sauce; cook for 1 minute over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the pasta and cook, stirring, until heated through.
*Top with walnuts

I added some frozen shrimp for protein, but it would be good with chicken or tofu too.

Southwestern(ish) Orzo and Black Beans, an idea from Amy

Cook and then drain orzo pasta-return it back to the pot.

Drain 1 can of black beans, 1 can of corn, 1 can of mushrooms (I love those stinking things!)

In olive oil, saute some minced garlic, diced onion, and 2 diced tomatoes until the tomatoes are cooked, but not mushy.

Throw the beans, corn, 'shrooms, garlic, onions, and tomatoes in with the pasta and some butter, turn the heat on low so the butter melts. Add salt, cumin, and crushed red pepper to taste.
Squeeze some lime juice over it before you serve.
Next time, I'm making it with fresh cilantro.

Veggie Pasta, from Mel

1 head cauliflower, broken into bite sized pieces
2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 small-to-medium sweet onion, sliced or diced or whatever suits you
1 lb meat of choice: we like ground turkey or turkey Italian sausage or the like
thick pasta, such as linguine or fettuccine
roughly 1/2 cup parm. reg. grated or shaved
approx. 2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
2-4 tbsp olive oil, butter, or margarine (fat, basically)

Lightly steam cauliflower in a large fry pan. Add some fat and the zucchini, onions, and seasonings to taste. Saute until nearly done, and then crank the heat. Let the cauliflower (and everything else) get ever so slightly golden brown. Sometimes this takes a while. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.

Start a pot of water for the pasta.

Add the meat of choice to the fry pan with a little more fat. Cook until done, breaking into bite sized pieces. It's good to leave it in kinda big chunks. (Nickel or quarter sized.) Boil pasta according to package directions.

Add veggies to the meat. Stir in pasta, parm, and basil. Eat.

Cheesy Turkey Pasta Bake, from Karli

1lb ground turkey
2 cups (cooked) whole wheat pasta
1 can diced tomatoes (I used the kind that are seasoned)
1 can mushrooms
1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
1/4 of a log of 2% milk Velveeta

Brown turkey, I added some chopped onion and garlic salt. Mix all ingredients together (I melted the Velveeta first) and bake for 20 minutes at 350°.

Using the turkey, low fat soup and 2% Velveeta made it Weight Watchers friendly. It was only 6 points per serving.

Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese, suggested by Rachael

Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese
from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients
1/2 pound ziti
2 cups milk
2 cups coarsely grated gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
2 large eggs
3 slices white sandwich bread, roughly diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
8 ounces thinly sliced deli-boiled ham (I am using diced ham instead)


Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; toss with 1/4 cup milk.

Meanwhile, combine both cheeses in a bowl. Beat 1/4 cup milk and the eggs in another bowl; fold in the bread and add half of the cheese.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 3/4 cup water and the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk; bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese, then add the pasta and toss.

Butter a shallow casserole dish. Add half of the pasta, top with some of the ham and cover with the remaining pasta. Top with the remaining ham, then cover with the bread mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Langostino and Broccoli, from Kris

- 1 package frozen langostino, thawed (preferably uncooked)
- 3 broccoli crowns in pieces
- 1 package spaghetti noodles
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- juice of 3 lemons
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup parm cheese
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP butter
- salt and pepper to taste

Bring large pot of water to boil, add salt and 1/3 of the chopped garlic to boiling water. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. While past is cooking, place broccoli pieces in another pot of boiling water to blanche. Take out after 1 minute and drain. When pasta is done cooking, drain and combine with broccoli in strainer. Using same pot that pasta was cooked in, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add remaining chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute - do not allow garlic to burn or brown. Add langostino to oil and cook until done, return pasta/broccoli to the pot. Pour lemon juice and parm cheese over the top, toss well and serve.

Creamy Ham and Peas Pasta, from Stacy

1 small onion, finely chopped
a few Tbsp. olive oil
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 small carton (very small, like individual serving of milk) heavy cream
1/2 lb. ham (cut into small squares)
3/4 cup frozen peas (defrosted)

*All measurements are approximations.

Saute onions in olive oil until soft (a few mins.). Throw everything else in the pan and heat through. I added some garlic salt as well. Serve over your choice of pasta. Yummy!