Pasta with Mushrooms Onions and Peppers

Ingredients:

8 to 10 ounces medium-sized pasta;

1/2 tablespoon olive oil;

8 ounces button mushrooms, cut into quarters;

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces;

3/4 medium onion, cut into bite-sized pieces;

1 to 1-1/2 cups prepared pasta sauce;

1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan;

salt, pepper;

Preparation:

Bring a medium pot full of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high. Add mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Saute 8 to 12 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked through, onions are soft, and peppers are crisp-tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add pasta to skillet. Stir thoroughly to combine. Heat through if necessary. Add pasta sauce. Stir to combine. Kill heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into bowls. Add a healthy helping of parmesan to each. Delight in the easiest thing you’ve ever made.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (2 to 3 pounds), skinned, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes;

1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced;

3 cloves garlic, minced;

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided;

salt and pepper;

1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, divided;

12 ounces farfalle pasta;

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted;

2/3 cup Parmesan, grated, shredded, or shaved;

cooking spray;

Preparation:

Preheat oven 375°F. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix squash, onion, garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mince half the sage leaves and toss those in, as well. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir again. Spread mixture in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes, stirring twice for even roasting. Squash should be soft at the end. Meanwhile, cook farfalle in a medium pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. (It should be really hot.) Add remaining sage leaves and cook until crispy, about 1 or 2 minutes. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a small bowl. Salt lightly. Crush or chop to little pieces.

Add half the pasta, half the squash mixture, and half the fried sage to the hot pan, making sure it’s not too crowded. (You want this to fry, not steam.) Cook for about 5 minutes, or “until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges,” stirring frequently. Add pine nuts and cook for 1 more minute. Pour into bowl and stir in half the parmesan.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Seafood and Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta; - shells, farfelle, or other 

1 pound fresh crabmeat; - or imitation 

1 pound shrimp; - frozen salad shrimp 

4 large scallions; - diagonally sliced 

1 medium yellow pepper; - or orange 

4 large hard-boiled eggs; - optional 

10 medium cherry tomatoes; - cut in half 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 cloves garlic; - crushed 

1/2 bunch fresh italian parsley 

Salad dressing: 

1/3 cup vinegar 

1 cup olive oil 

1 teaspoon garlic; chopped 

1 teaspoon dry italian seasoning 

1 dash salt; to taste 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

Cook pasta and cool in a glass bowl. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add shrimp and saute until the shrimp are pink and tender...about three minutes. Add scallions and garlic to shrimp and toss lightly. Remove heat and set aside. You can skip this step if you are using frozen, cooked shrimp.

Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces. Cut tomatoes in half and cut three boiled eggs in slices. Add peppers, tomatoes and eggs to the pasta. Add 1 pound of fresh crabmeat that has already been checked for shells into bowl with pasta. Add cooked shrimp, scallions and garlic mixture to the bowl with pasta. Pour dressing over salad and toss until mixed. Garnish with parsley and refrigerate.

How to Prepare Dressing:

Pour 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. chopped garlic, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste into a jar with a lid. Shake and pour over salad. Alternatively you can use bottled Italian dressing.

Allow salad to marinate for at least 30 minutes while chilling. Serve cold on a bed of lettuce.