My Crock Pot Pasta Sauce

1.5 - 2 lb ground beef, browned & drained
4 regular or 2 large cans of low sodium tomato sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 small can tomato juice
Spices to taste - Garlic Season All, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Oregano

While ground beef is cooking, put everything else in slow cooker.
When meat is done, drain or strain, & add to slow cooker.
Put lid on, turn on high for 4-6 hours & then lower to low until dinner time.
Stir occassionally.
Add to your favorite pasta & top with your favorite cheeses if ya like.
We serve garlic bread or bruschetta & salad with it.
Add to meatball hoagies if you like, too.
Enjoy!

Roasted Riggies

Roasted Riggies
(Sorry, no pic yet. Was gone quickly. LOL)

INGREDIENTS:
½ - 1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 cup heavy cream & 1 cup ricotta
1 (28 ounce) can diced roasted tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers
1/2 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or Essence(optional)
1 cup grated Parmesan/Asiago/Romano cheese or Italian blend
1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped scallions

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook & drain sausage. Drain roasted peppers, reserving a small amount of the liquid. Blitz in blender or food processor until ‘saucey’.
2. Combine sausage, cream/cheese, tomatoes, roasted peppers with reserved liquid, herbs, garlic powder, salt and black pepper, and crushed red pepper/Essence in a saucepan. Cover. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce heats through.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
4. Stir cheese into the sauce. Stir sauce into pasta, and top with scallions.

Nutrition
Information
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Calories: 571 Amount Per Serving
•Total Fat: 32g
•Cholesterol: 104mg
•Sodium: 1294mg Amount Per Serving
•Total Carbs: 53.6g
•Dietary Fiber: 4.4g
•Protein: 18.9g

Bayou Pasta (same as other recipe, but without chicken)

Bayou Pasta
Recipe altered from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients
1 pound linguine
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons Essence
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions
Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil & add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot & stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter & olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the onions to the pan & saute until the onions are softened & lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan & saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon of Essence, & 1 teaspoon of salt, to the pan & bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, linguine & the reserved cooking water to the pan & cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat & add the green onions, Parmesan & parsley & toss to blend. Serve immediately.

Sausage with Peppers and Pasta

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/sausage-peppers-pasta-113822.aspx

Very yummy. The only difference I did was use a can of Rotel tomatoes & chilies instead of Italian tomatoes. :)

Mexican Rice

Mexican Rice

Vegetable or Canola Oil
2 tsp Crushed garlic
1 ½ cups Mahatma Rice
1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell pepper, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Cumin, optional
Small can tomato sauce
Water

Put pan on medium. Add enough oil to coat bottom of pan. Add crushed garlic (do not burn). Stir & brown.
Add rice. Stir & make shiny.
Add chopped onion, green pepper, salt & pepper (cumin, optional).
Add small can or ½ large can of tomato sauce. Stir.
Add 3 large glasses of water. Stir & cover.
Let boil on high heat for about 8 minutes.
Put heat on low & simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
Check & stir at 19 minutes. Should be done at 20.
*Add more water if needed.

Pesto Tortellini

1 large package your fave tortellini (I used cheese)
1 jar Classico Basil Pesto or homemade (recipe below)
Grated Parmesan/Romano
1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water
Salt

In pot, prepare tortellini in salted boiling water as label directs. Drain tortellini, reserving pasta cooking water. Return tortellini to pot.
Add fresh or Classico basil pesto and enough pasta water to create sauce to tortellini; toss until evenly mixed. Sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

Homemade Basil Pesto
In blender, combine 2 cup(s) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup(s) toasted pignoli (pine nuts), 1/2 cup(s) Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, & 1 chopped garlic clove, and blend until mixture is smooth, stopping blender occasionally and scraping down sides with rubber spatula.

Sausage Ricotta Riggies

1 box Rigatoni
Salt
15 oz. container Ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 lb mild Italian Sausage
black pepper
garlic powder
oregano
3-4 green onions, sliced
1 cup pasta water

Drop rigatoni into salted boiling water.
Cook according to package directions.
Just before draining, reserve 1 cup starchy liquid.
Meanwhile, fry crumbled sausage until done.
Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, cooked sausage, spices to taste.
Add the starchy liquid to create a sauce & stir.
Add the pasta & toss 2 minutes to coat & combine.
Top with green onions.

*Adapted by me from Rachael Ray's Broccoli Rabe & Salami Pasta.

Sausage, Pepperoni, & 3 Cheese Calzone

I made this recipe yesterday with only 1 difference. I exchanged the broccoli for 1/2 lb cooked Italian sausage & pepperoni slices. It came out great!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/broccoli-and-cheese-calzone-recipe/index.html

My Greek Pasta Salad

My Greek Pasta Salad:

Cheese Tortellini
Feta Cheese
Good Seasons Italian Dressing or my Tuscan dressing
Chopped Green onions or Red onions
Chopped Tomato
Chopped Roasted Red Peppers

I make a salad with the above veggies, add cooked/cooled tortellini, top it with dressing & cheese.
If you like olives, you can add them, too.

My Pasta Salad

My Pasta Salad:

I make a salad with the veggies we like (including the lettuce), add cooked/cooled tri color pasta, chunks of pepperoni, top it with Good Seasons Italian Dressing & Sargento shredded cheese called "Bistro Blends: Mozzarella with Sundried Tomatoes & Basil" or 6 Italian Cheese Blend & Parmesan/Romano.

Dirty Rice

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/dirty-rice-recipe/index.html

I love Paula Deen's Dirty Rice recipe, but I've made a few changes (of course). :)

No chicken livers.

No celery (I use celery seed).

It's very good.

My Lasagna (Easy)

Lasagna Noodles
4 c ricotta
2 c + 6 Italian cheese blend shredded
3/4 c Parmesan/Romano
3 eggs
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Season All, Oregano
Spaghetti Sauce

Cook box of lasagna.
In a bowl, mix ricotta, 2c shredded cheese, Parmesan/Romano, eggs, & salt, pepper, & Season All to taste.
In a sprayed 13x9 Pyrex dish, layer sauce, noodles, cheese, sauce, & Season All until pan is full.
Top with sauce & extra shredded cheese & oregano.
Bake (usually 350 for 30 minutes, but it tells you on lasagna box) until cheese is melted & bubbly.
Let set for 10 minutes, then serve & enjoy.

I fix bruschetta or garlic bread and salad with it.

*I use plain Ragu sauce (the large jar) because that's what we like. Use whatever you like. Sometimes the Hubbs will make homemade sauce, too.

*Use Essence or a little bit of red pepper flakes in the sauce if you want it a bit hot.

Spaghetti Pizza

Spaghetti Pizza

1 lb spaghetti
2 eggs
½ c milk
4 c mozzarella
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 lg jar spaghetti sauce
1 ½ tsp oregano
2 lb ground beef
sliced pepperoni

Break each length of spaghetti into 3 pieces & add to boiling, salted water.
Cook according to package directions.
Drain & rinse with cold water.
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer (I just use a fork).
Add milk, 1 cup of cheese & garlic powder to eggs & mix.
Add cooked spaghetti.
Spread in a greased cake pan.
Bake 15 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Reduce oven temp to 350 (just long enough to heat thru).
Salt ground beef & brown.
Add spaghetti sauce & oregano & warm thru.
Spread this meat sauce on top of baked spaghetti.
Sprinkle with 3 cups of cheese & bake for 20 minutes.
Let stand at room temp 5 minutes before cutting.