Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

I had some leftover Ricotta cheese and found this recipe yesterday. I was pleased with how the ravioli turned out, even though I didn't let the butter brown up enough!! The flavor is light and bright, and the lemony sauce helps to brighten it even more. Some tips I have are that you should set the finished ravioli on a damp dishcloth rather than on a greased pan. I did both (didn't have enough cookie sheets handy) and the raviolis stuck to the greased pan. However, try to have enough cookie sheets handy to place the boiled ravioli on in the oven while keeping warm. The other tip I have is to definitely use those large round spoons with holes for removing the ravioli from the pan, and tilt it against the side of the pan to drain off the water. I also used 5 or 6 ravioli in the boiling pan, more would make them stick together. This is definitely a keeper and I will freeze the leftover ravioli to make with the sauce later. I didn't eat the parsley in the sauce, but it did add some flavor and looked nice on the plate.

Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

1 c. Ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (aka Italian parsley)
1 large egg

1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
48 round won ton wrappers (about 9 oz.)
6 T butter
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. leaves of flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine cheeses, chopped parsley, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Lay 8 wrappers on a flat surface and spoon 1 Tablespoon cheese mixture onto center of each. Working with 1 wrapper at a time, moisten edge with water and top with another wrapper, pressing to seal tightly. Transfer ravioli to a greased baking sheet, cover, and repeat to maker more ravioli. Preheat oven to 250º.
3. Cook 4 to 5 ravioli at a time in boiling water until dough is tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to greased baking sheet in a singe layer, cover with foil, and keep warm in oven.
4. While the second to last batch of ravioli is boiling, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling until light golden, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and parsley leaves. Layer ravioli and sauce on a platter. Serves 4.

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

I was on a "fiscal fast" and was trying to find recipes using ingredients I had on hand. This recipe was OK, but I won't be keeping it. I was curious how the eggs would make the sauce, they sort of made it creamy. I have to say that I made the same recipe the night before and I didn't cook the noodles long enough. It came out clumpy, this was much creamier. Now I have to find some way to use up the extra evaporated milk!!

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

1/4 c. scrambled egg
2 T evaporated milk
4 oz. fettuccine or linguine
2 t. butter
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T snipped parsley
1 T cooked bacon pieces
coarsely ground pepper

In a small mixing bowl stir together eggs and milk. In a large saucepan cook the fettuccine. Drain well. Return pasta to the hot saucepan. Immediately pour the egg mixture over pasta. Add butter. Heat and stir mixture over low heat for about 2 minutes. Add cheese, parsley, and bacon. Toss until combined. Sprinkle with pepper.

Chicken With Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

I had trouble getting the water to boil for the fettuccine, I would definitely start the water before the other steps in this recipe!! The pesto was OK, but the cheese was to "large". I should have used grated instead of the shredded I had on hand. Also the dish was too cold, even if I had warmed the bowl first it would have been too cold. Perhaps a short trip through the microwave before serving would work? Overall, this is just a simple pasta-pesto-chicken dish that really doesn't need a recipe!! I won't be keeping this recipe, but plan to reheat tomorrow for breakfast with some cream in the sauce. I always prefere creamy pesto, and I will toast some pine nuts for the top. Oh, I always toast my pine nuts before putting them into a pesto because it brings out the flavor.

Chicken With Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

1 2/3 c. shredded fresh basil
4 oz. olive oil
3 T pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T freshly grated Romano cheese
2 T vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 oz. dried fettuccine
freshly ground pepper
sprig of fresh basil, for garnish

1. To make the pesto, put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt in a food processor or blender. Puree the ingredients until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cheeses.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts, turning once, for 8-10 minutes, or until the juices are no longer pink. Cut into small cubes.
3. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a warm serving dish. Add the chicken and pesto, then season with pepper. Toss well to mix. Garnish with a sprig of basil and serve warm.

Chicken & Onion Cream Sauce

This recipe used ingredients I had on-hand and I substituted the pasta tubes for fettuccine. This recipe was OK, worked well as a leftover, too. I should have chopped the green onions finer, since I don't prefer to eat onions in big pieces. It is a basic cream sauce with some chicken and pasta. I will keep it, until I find a better one.

Chicken & Onion Cream Sauce

1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 garlic clove, chopped very finely
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1/2 c. water
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. milk
6 scallions, green part included, sliced diagonally
scant 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. dried fettuccine
chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish

1. Heat the oil and butter with the garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until just beginning to color.
2. Add the chicken breasts and raise the heat to medium. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the juices are no longer pink.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Remove the chicken, leaving the oil in the skillet.
5. Slice the chicken breasts diagonally into thin strips and set aside.
6. Reheat the oil in the skillet. Add the onion and gently cook for 5 minutes, or until soft.
7. Add the crumbled bouillon cube and the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the cream, milk, scallions, and Parmesan. Simmer until heated through and slightly thickened.
9. Cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a warm serving dish. Layer the chicken slices over the pasta. Pour on the sauce, then garnish with parsley and serve. Serves 4.

Pasta with Gorgonzola & White Corn Sauce

I had some fresh basil and wanted to make a dish that I could eat with my Basil Grilled Chicken. I had most of the ingredients for this recipe, but had to go out and get some white corn and Gorgonzola cheese. I didn't realize how strong Gorgonzola cheese is, but the sweetness of the corn and the saltiness of the bacon helped to balance it out. I won't be keeping this recipe, though. There was not enough of the sauce for the pasta and I wasn't wild about the taste. I prepared a mix of the chicken and the pasta dish for leftovers, creating more sauce from the leftover evaporated milk, corn, and the flavored butter from the chicken recipe.

Pasta with Gorgonzola & White Corn Sauce

6 T minced red onion
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 c. evaporated skim milk
6 oz. sweet Gorgonzola, crumbled
dashes of Tabasco sauce
1 lb. fettuccine
1 1/4 t. grated lemon rind
12 large basil leaves, but into thin strips
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c. white corn
8 thick slices bacon, fried crisp & crumbled

1. In a skillet on medium heat wilt onions in oil, stirring about 5 minutes.
2. Add salt and milk.
3. Add cheese and Tabasco.
4. Cook, stirring, until cheese melts and mixture thickens (do not boil).
5. Remove from heat.
6. Cook pasta.
7. Reheat sauce and add the other ingredients except bacon. Divide pasta to 8 warm bowls. Top with sauce and sprinkle with bacon. Serves 8.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I had several similar recipes for pasta Alfredo, this time I decided to use tortellini rather than fettuccine. This is a really simple recipe and it tasted good. I toasted some chopped almonds and placed those on top, normally I use pine nuts but they are so expensive right now!! This is a keeper recipe, and I don't think I have any more Alfredo recipes to test.

Fettuccine Alfredo

12-oz. fettuccine noodles
1 c. half-and-half
4 T butter
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1. In a saucepot, prepare fettuccine as label directs. Drain pasta and return to saucepot.
2. Over medium-low heat, heat fettuccine, half-and-half, butter, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to make sure pasta is evenly covered with sauce. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Pasta in Cream Sauce

This was a keeper recipe, so simple!! I used frozen cheese tortellini and it was yummy!! Add some bread and a salad and you have a complete meal. The only thing I didn't like was that the sauce was a bit grainy. I removed it from the heat to stir in the cheese because I didn't want to have a grainy texture, but it was grainy anyway. Perhaps I will try shredded Parmesan cheese the next time, or follow the recipe and stir in the pasta with the sauce instead of stirring into the sauce.

Pasta in Cream Sauce

1 c. whipping cream
3 T snipped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. tri-colored pasta, cooked and drained
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a saucepan heat cream, basil, garlic, and pepper just until bubbly and slightly thickened.
2. Toss with pasta and cheese. Serves 8.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I won't be keeping this recipe, in fact I couldn't even finish eating it!! I don't know if it was the fact that it was made with evaporated milk, the combination of cheeses, or the bread crumbs on the top, but it was not good enough to keep. I used some cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese. I grated the onions because I didn't want chunks of onion in the casserole. I am not used to having a bread crumb topping, but I have since been told that perhaps I should have used torn up bread instead of the canned bread crumbs.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound dried, short pasta (elbows are best)
generous pinch of salt
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 bay leaf
1/2 small onion, diced
2 1/2 c. grated cheese (or combination of cheeses) of your choice
1 c. bread crumbs, mixed with 2 T melted butter

1. Boil pasta in medium saucepan.
2. Liberally butter an 8" x 8" ceramic or glass baking dish. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
3. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk flour into melted butter, continuing to whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. Quickly add the milk and stir. Add bay leaf and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes. Do not let it bubble, reduce heat if necessary.
4. Remove pasta when just short of done. Drain pasta, but do not rinse.
5. Remove sauce from heat, remove the bay leaf, and stir in about 3/4 of your cheese, stirring until melted. Add the drained pasta into the sauce and stir until completely coated.
6. Pour pasta into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, followed by the bread crumbs.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

I had some cheddar cheese to use up so I thought I would try one of my mac and cheese recipes. This was one I had used before and had written "keep" on it. I had used some cayenne pepper instead of the onions and bell peppers, why I don't know!! However, I liked the idea of cayenne pepper and added a pinch instead of the black pepper. I used green onions, but left out the bell peppers. There was a tiny bit of spiciness, just enough, and I will keep this recipe. I will probably make it the same way I did this time the next time I make it.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

7 oz. macaroni shells or similar sized pasta
1 T butter
2 T flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. black pepper
1 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T sliced green onions (optional)
2 T chopped red bell pepper

1. Begin boiling macaroni according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is absorbed; remove from heat.
3. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Drain cooked pasta. Stir in sauce, onions, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Serves 4.

Szechuan Cold Sesame Noodles

I tweaked this recipe a bit, but it came out good. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles, and replaced the bean sprouts with baby corn, water chestnuts, and peas. I also used cashews in place of peanuts because I didn't have any peanuts handy. I think I will keep this recipe, because I liked the flavor of the sauce. However, a bit less soy sauce next time.

Szechuan Cold Sesame Noodles

3 quarts water
1 T corn oil
1 pound fresh Chinese whole-wheat noodles
1 T sesame oil
2 c. canned bean sprouts, drained
1 c. shredded cooked chicken
3 T sesame seeds
2 t. sesame oil
6 T soy sauce
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T oil, heated
1 t. sugar
2 T chopped scallions
2 t grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 t. powdered ginger)
2 t. finely chopped garlic
1 T sesame oil
1 T unsalted peanuts, ground

1. Bring water and corn oil to a boil in a large saucepan. Separate noodles carefully, then cook following package directions. Drain, place on serving platter, and toss with 1 T sesame oil until well coated. Place bean sprouts and chicken on top of noodles.
2. Grind sesame seeds in blender or food processor. Blend with 2 teaspoons sesame oil to form paste. Add soy sauce, vinegar, hot oil, sugar, scallions, ginger, and garlic.
3. Pour sauce over chicken, bean sprouts, and noodles. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon sesame oil and peanuts.
4. Refrigerate until well-chilled. Before serving, toss until well mixed. Serves 8.

Chicken Paprika

This recipe is definitely a keeper!! It is a little bit elaborate, but worth the effort in the end. I didn't have any milk so I used half & half. I used breasts as the cut of chicken. The taste was great, and it will make a good leftover. The recipe calls for either noodles or rice, but I am glad I chose noodles. It was a perfect match!!

Chicken Paprika

4 - 4 1/2 pounds meaty chicken pieces
1 t. salt
1/3 c. flour
2 T paprika
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. hot water or milk
3 T flour
2-3 T sour cream
salt and pepper
hot cooked noodles or rice

1. Skin chicken if desired. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and coat with mixture of 1/3 c. flour and paprika.
2. In a 12-inch skillet brown chicken in hot butter, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Drain.
3. Return chicken to the skillet and add hot water or milk. Heat to just boiling and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until no pink remains.
4. Transfer chicken to serving platter, keep warm.
5. Pour drippings into a large measuring cup. Skim off fat. Add water to drippings to equal 2 cups of liquid. Pour into skillet.
6. Stir together 3 Tablespoons flour, sour cream, and 2 Tablespoons water. Gradually add flour mixture to liquid in the skillet.
7. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cook and stir one more minute. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Serve over chicken and noodles. Serves 8.

Chicken Alfredo Linguine

I have never made my own Alfredo sauce before, usually buying pre-made sauce or those little envelopes of powder!! I had some leftover chicken and some linguine in the fridge, so I thought this would be a good time to try out the Alfredo sauce. I made the white sauce from one recipe, and added some ingredients to make it Alfredo. I used half-and-half because that is what I had in my fridge. This is definitely a keeper recipe, although I am not sure how it will reheat later as leftovers.

Chicken Alfredo Linguine

1 T corn starch
1 c. cold milk
2 T butter
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
9 oz. linguine, cooked according to package instructions

1. In a saucepan, gradually stir milk into corn starch.
2. Add butter, salt, and pepper.
3. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Boil 1 minute.
5. Add Parmesan cheese, basil, and garlic powder.
6. Stir quickly until cheese melts and ingredients are evenly distributed.
7. Stir in chicken and linguine. Makes 2-3 servings.

Spaghetti with Chicken and Asiago

This was a recipe that I couldn't resist. I like spaghetti, I like chicken, I like peas, how could it go wrong?? But, it did. I had forgotten that I don't like canned peas, not that frozen or fresh peas would have worked any better!! I can't imagine who thought this recipe up, much less put it in the chicken cookbook where I copied it from. I ended up eating it, but left the peas in the bowl, at least as many as I could. Other people might like it, but I didn't.

Spaghetti with Chicken and Asiago

2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
3 T olive oil
1/2 t. salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
8 oz. baby peas, un-drained
1 pound spaghetti
3 T grated Asiago
1 egg, beaten

1. Saute chicken in olive oil until golden. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper.
2. Heat peas in their own liquid in saucepan. Drain liquid from peas into chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add peas to chicken mixture and season with more pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes longer.
3. Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until just tender, following package directions, and drain. Place in heated bowl.
4. Blend cheese and egg together. Pour gradually into chicken and peas. Stir until sauce is well heated. Toss half the chicken mixture with pasta. Spoon remaining chicken sauce on top and serve. Serves 4-6.

Spaghetti with Chicken Breast

This dish was flavorful, but a bit difficult to eat. I felt that there were too many onions, and I wished that I could have eaten the corn along with the spaghetti and chicken. I used green onions instead of chives, and cut the recipe down by thirds which yielded one serving. I might keep this recipe but try it with less onions and more pasta next time.

Spaghetti with Chicken Breast

1 T corn oil
2 onions, diced
1 1/4 lb. boneless chicken breasts, skinned and cut into small pieces.
3/4 c. canned sweet corn, drained
1 c. chicken broth
salt to taste
pinch of paprika
12 oz. spaghetti
3 T chopped fresh chives

1. Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion and saute until golden. Add chicken and saute until golden. Stir in corn and chicken broth, salt, and paprika. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
2. Cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain pasta and place in heated serving dish.
3. Spoon chicken mixture on top and toss well. Sprinkle with chives and serve. Serves 4.

Chicken Tetrazini

Tonight's recipe is "Chicken Tetrazini", the first one I pulled out of the recipe box. It was perfect because I was able to use the chicken breast from last nights "Yorkshire Chicken", I discarded the Yorkshire pudding and peeled off the flour "skin" from the skinless breast. I cut it into large chunks and down-sized the recipe to fit the amount of chicken I had. I am getting pretty good with my calculator with this project!! All I had to purchase was some thin spaghetti (I got the whole-grain type) and some mushrooms. I don't like mushrooms, but I thought I would get a small can and I could pick them out as I ate them. I wasn't sure if they would add flavor or not. Also, even though I didn't need a starch, I couldn't resist a loaf of freshly baked (and still warm) sour dough bread.

This is definitely a "keeper" recipe, I might try it next time without the mushrooms to see if I still like it as well. It is surely not a healthy recipe, with all the fat and carbs, but a great way to use up some cooked chicken.

Chicken Tetrazini

2 c. cooked, diced chicken
8 oz. thin spaghetti
3 T butter
3 T flour
1/4 t. cayenne or black pepper
1 t. salt
2 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. half-and-half
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 T lemon juice
1 T butter
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

1. Cook pasta "al dente" according to package directions.
2. As pasta cooks, heat 3 T butter in saucepan. Add flour. Cook, stirring, a few minutes. Add pepper and salt. Slowly stir in broth.
3. Bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in half-and-half, chicken, and 3/4 c. cheese.
4. In a skillet, heat lemon juice and remaining butter. Add mushrooms. Saute until juice cooks off, about 5 minutes.
5. Drain pasta. Combine with cream mixture. Place half in shallow baking dish. Spread mushrooms over pasta, reserving some for garnish. Add remaining pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and mushrooms.
6. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.