Saucy, Italian “drunken” noodles with spicy Italian sausage

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
• 8 ounces Pappardelle noodles, uncooked

Instructions

1. Place a large, heavy-bottom pan or braising pot over medium-high heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil is hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into the pan in small chunks, allowing it to brown in the oil for a few moments on each side; once the crumbled sausage is browned, remove it from the pan/pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl to hold for a moment; next, add the sliced onion into the pan with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize and become golden for roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning, once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper, and stir to combine, then add in the sliced bell peppers, and allow those to saute with the onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden; next, add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments, until almost completely reduced; next, add in the diced tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned spicy Italian sausage back into the pan, and gently fold the mixture to combine; allow it to gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors, then turn the heat off; to finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of the olive oil to create a silky, rich flavor, and add in the chopped parsley and about half of the julienned basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.
2. Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package; then, drain the noodles very well, and add them directly into the sauce, using tongs to gently toss and combine the pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients in it; check the seasoning to see if you need to add any additional salt or pepper.
3. Serve, add equal portions of the “Drunken” noodles to bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining julienned basil; you can even top with shaved Parmesan, if desired, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

SPICY TOMATO GARLIC SHRIMP PASTA

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces noodles of choice
• 12 ounces shrimp, tails removed and de-veined
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream or half & half
• ¼ cup chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Add shrimp and butter to a large sauce pan or skillet and sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until shrimp turn pink. Transfer shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to your pan. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until fragrant and heated through. Add heavy cream and chicken broth. Cover and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add shrimp to pan and stir to combine. Toss with prepared noodles and serve.

French Onion Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked chopped chicken
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 16 oz container French Onion Dip
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 12 oz egg noodles
• 1 cup crushed French fried onions

Instructions

1. Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine chicken, soup, dip, and cheese. Stir in cooked egg noodles.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Top with crushed french fried onions.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.

Roasted Vegetable lasagna

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce

• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes (use the juice)
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

Roasted Vegetables

• 3 zucchini, cut into small chunks
• 2 eggplants, sliced, then chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

• 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 3 cups ricotta (store bought or homemade)
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 10 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of all moisture

Instructions

Marinara Sauce

1. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes until onion starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and sautee for another 30 seconds.
2. Add the red wine, then the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and let simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
3. Add sauce to a blender and blend for about 1 minute.
4. Pour sauce back into the saucepan and add the dried oregano and fresh basil.
5. Sauce is ready to serve or save for later.
6. Store in the fridge up to 1 week or freeze for a few months.

Roasted Vegetables

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Toss the vegetables with oil, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on 2 lightly greased baking sheets. Turn the vegetables once about half way through. Bake until they’re tender, lightly browned about 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Roasted veggies can be stored in the fridge for a few days prior to using them for the lasagna.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non stick spray.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce onto the bottom of the dish (just a thin layer).
5. Cover the marinara with a layer of lasagna noodles.
6. Top the noodles with 1/2 of the thawed spinach, 1/2 of the roasted vegetables, 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, and 3/4 cup marinara sauce.

Repeat layering

1. Noodles, remaining spinach, remaining roasted vegetables, remaining ricotta, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 3/4 cup marinara sauce.

Final layer

1. Noodles, 1 cup marinara, remaining mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan.
2. Bake until the lasagna for about 1 hour, until it’s bubbling along the edges and golden brown.
3. Let to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Super Simple Garlic and Ginger Shrimp Soba Noodles

Ingredients

• 12 ounces soba noodles
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Zest and juice of one large lime
• Salt to taste
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender; 4 minutes. Drain and rinse noodles under cold water. Transfer noodles to a large serving bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil with the soy sauce. Add sauce to the noodles and toss.
3. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the shallots and ginger cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallot mix to a paper towel lined plate. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over very low heat until golden; 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to the same paper towel line plate.
4. In a bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the remaining oil; stir in the shrimp and season with salt. Add shrimp to the skillet and cook on each side for about 1 minute; just until they're pink.
5. Sprinkle the noodles with the scallions, cilantro, crushed red pepper, ginger fried shallots, garlic, and shrimp. Serve at once, or chill until needed.

Chilli Cashew Shrimp Noodles

INGREDIENTS

• 7-8 ounces uncooked rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 2 tablespoons peanut or sesame oil
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 4 red chillies, seeded + chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into matchstikes
• 1 cup whole roasted cashews
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles according to package directions, leaving the noodles with just a bit of a bite as they will continue to cook in the sauce. Drain the noodles.
In a bowl combine the honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and lime juice. Set aside.
Heat a large sided skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut or sesame oil and the shrimp in an even layer. Sear the shrimp until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan. Add the second tablespoon of oil and the garlic, red chillies and red peppers. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until just soft. Add the cashews and stir fry for about a minute. Add the sauce and the shrimp back to the pan, stir and cook one more minute. Add the noodles and stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions and cilantro. Serve.