PASTA WITH QUICK CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

 PASTA WITH QUICK CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

From Jessie Lee Troyer and Vicki Troyer Bernardi

A quick Italian pasta dish that we enjoyed very much! 

pasta 12 oz. - 1 lb. penne or other favorite

salt

½ cup olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 pints cherry tomatoes

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of sugar

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. 

Add garlic, then tomatoes, pepper, sugar, and 1 tsp. salt. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes open and release their juices to form a sauce, about 6–8 minutes.

Next toss the cooked pasta with the tomato sauce and basil. 

Top with Parmesan and serve.

LASAGNA

 LASAGNA

Jessie Lee Troyer

Serves 4

Lasagna noodles

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

28 0z. canned tomatoes

salt

boullion cube

1/8 t. Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning

pepper

powdered garlic

4 oz. boiled ham or mortadella, cut in tiny pieces

ricotta

shredded mozzarella

shredded parmesan

Prepare lasagna noodles

For the lasagna, have a deep pan of hard boiling water, salted enough that it tastes salty, in which you cook about eight strips at a time. It will depend somewhat on the size of the strips, but be sure there is room for plenty of movement of the pasta in the water. 

Stir it often; it will need to cook about eight minutes, but follow the directions for cooking on the box. You might need to add a couple of minutes, although you don't want it really done, and also, it will cook more while it's in the oven. 

Rinse each batch in cold water and drain well on a towel.

Sauce (Ragu)

Prepare the sauce as noodles are cooking:

1  28 oz. can of pelati (peeled tomatoes) or already prepared spaghetti sauce. If using prepared sauce, ground 1/2 lb, ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork and add to the sauce.

If you are making the sauce and not using prepared spaghetti sauce, do it like this: 

Use enough oil to cover the bottom of skillet.

Saute 1 finely shaved onion (optional) in oil until onion is transparent.

Next, add 1/2 lb. ground pork and 1/2 lb. ground beef; brown.

Add canned tomatoes or tomato sauce

Add 1 teaspoon salt

one bouillon cube

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or poultry seasoning)

dash of pepper.

Sprinkle powdered garlic on tomatoes

Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes.  Taste for salt.

Assemble the lasagna

Abundantly grease the bottom and sides of pan. It helps to keep the lasagna  from sticking to the pan.

For layering the lasagna, spread a layer of sauce all over the bottom of the pan. Skim your spoon from the top of the sauce so it has extra fat/oil in this first layer.  

Add strips of lasagna, overlapping only very slightly. 

Add enough tablespoons of sauce to moisten well every strip of lasagna, particularly in the

corners and sides. 

Sprinkle a bit of mortadella.

Crumble a bit of ricotta.

Add a bit of mozzarella and sprinkle over everything a tablespoon or so of parmigiano. 

Sprinkle a dash of Italian seasoning.

Repeat the layers in the same way--you should have 4-6 layers.

 If you run out of some ingredient, use whatever is left in the next layer, but try to make

it somewhat equal in every layer.

You can leave out any ingredient you choose, but these particular ingredients make a splendid tasting dish.

Pour plenty of sauce on top, and if you like, use several  slices of American cheese before adding the parmigiano. 

Sprinkle black pepper over the top. 

Add tidbits of butter or margarine.

Place in preheated oven--375 to 400° for about forty-five minutes. Check to see if the juices are bubbling well. 

Note: If you should have to prepare it in advance and then need to put it in the oven to bake at a later hour, add two tablespoons of water for every four portions.

MAC N CHEESE

MAC N CHEESE

From Angie Reid (from Karis)

4 T. butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
1/2 t. salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place cooked macaroni in a large bowl while still hot and mix in the cheddar.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients - then combine with the macaroni-cheese mixture.

Pour all into a casserole dish and bake for 30-45 minutes.  

Top with additional cheese, if desired.

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

From Angie Reid (from Aunt Tammy Flowers)

1 boiled & boned chicken
1 can mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese (more is better)
12 oz. spaghetti

Cook spaghetti in the chicken broth, drain and add all the ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbling and hot all the way through.

Tammy's note: Sometimes I buy a roasted chicken and cook the spaghetti in chicken broth.

SPICY SMOKED SAUSAGE ALFREDO BAKE

SPICY SMOKED SAUSAGE ALFREDO BAKE

From Kristin Troyer

16 oz. rotini (or bow ties or shells)
3 T. butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups half & half
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1-2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 (12 oz.) fully cooked smoked sausage, any variety

Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente; drain.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in flour.

Whisk in chicken broth until smooth, then stir in half & half.

Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and red pepper flakes and simmer until sauce is thickened, about five minutes.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella until cheeses are melted and smooth.

Slice sausage into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the sauce, along with the chopped parsley and cooked pasta. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Preheat broiler.

Pour the pasta mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. 

Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden.

SPAGHETTI PIE CASSEROLE

SPAGHETTI PIE CASSEROLE

From Lucy Reid

This makes two 9x13 casseroles - you can half the recipe for a family of 4-6.

1 (16 oz.) pkg. spaghetti, cooked
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (or garlic salt)
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) reduced-fat sour cream
3-5 green onions, chopped (optional)

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. (Always save some of the pasta water for using in any recipe--in case the dish seems dry. You can add a spoonful or so, if needed.)

Mix beaten eggs and Parmesan cheese with spaghetti.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink, breaking up the beef into crumbles; drain.

Stir in the spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper - bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl mix cream cheese and sour cream until blended - stir in green onions.

In two greased 9x13 baking dishes, layer the spaghetti, cream cheese mixture and meat mixture.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Uncover - bake 5-10 minutes longer, or until cheese is bubbly.

FETTUCCINE WITH BUTTER AND PARMESAN

FETTUCCINE WITH BUTTER AND PARMESAN

From Jennifer Johnson (Tabatha Colson)


14 oz. fresh or dried fettuccine
1 1/3 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
salt and ground black pepper


Cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to the instructions on the packet.  

Drain thoroughly, then tip into a warmed bowl.

Add the butter and parmesan, 1/3 at a time, tossing the pasta after each addition until it is evenly coated.  

Season to taste and serve.

PENNE ALL'ARRABBIATA

PENNE ALL'ARRABBIATA

Vicki Troyer Bernardi

for 4 people

14 oz. penne
7 oz. cleaned and cut-up mushrooms
1 package of diced bacon 
parsley (optional)
red pepper
1 28 oz. can tomatoes  -- run them through blender or mash with fork

Heat olive oil in pan and add garlic powder.

Cook bacon in pan until partially crisp. Remove from oil.

Sauté mushrooms in oil. Return bacon to skillet.

Add red pepper and tomatoes, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 broth cube. Cook over low heat about 30 minutes, or until mixture becomes dense.

In a deep pan bring salted water to boiling.  Put pasta in and cook al dente, tender but firm to the bite.  Drain.

Put pasta in serving bowl  and cover with sauce.  

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Note: Sometimes we prepare this dish without mushrooms.

 In Italy you can buy diced bacon in small packages. We use about 3 oz. for 2 or at the most 3 people.

THIN SPAGHETTI WITH ANCHOVY AND TOMATO SAUCE

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THIN SPAGHETTI WITH ANCHOVY AND TOMATO SAUCE 

From Jessie Lee Troyer

Here is an easy recipe which is also quite tasty.

Serves: 4

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 flat anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 1/2 cups canned Italian tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

salt

freshly ground pepper, 6 to 8 twists of the mill

1  lb. thin spaghetti

1. Put the garlic in a small saucepan with the oil and sautè over medium heat until it has colored lightly.

2. Add the chopped anchovies and parsley and sautè for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.  Stir, and adjust the heat so that the sauce cooks at a gentle but steady simmer for 25 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Taste and correct for salt.

4. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, drop in the spaghettini and cook until firm to the bite.  Drain, transfer promptly to a warm bowl, mix thoroughly with the sauce and serve at once.

This sauce may be prepared in advance and reheated just before using.

LASAGNA RECIPE

LASAGNA RECIPE
   

From Jessie Lee Troyer 

2 1/4 cups Meat Sauce Bolognese:

2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped celery

2 tablespoons chopped carrot

3/4 pound ground beef (preferably chuck or the meat from the neck)

 salt

 1 cup water or chicken stock (low-sodium)

 1/2 cup milk

 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

 2 cups canned Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped, with their juice.

1.  First make a ragu. An earthenware pot should be your first choice for making ragu.  If you don't have one available, use a heavy, enameled cast-iron casserole, the deepest one you have to keep the ragu from reducing too quickly. 

Put in the chopped onion, with all the oil and butter, and saute briefly over medium heat until just translucent.  Add the celery and carrot and cook gently for 2 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef, crumbling it in the pot with a fork.  Add 1 teaspoon salt, stir and cook only until the meat has lost its raw red color.  Add the chicken stock.

3. Turn the heat to medium, and add the milk and the nutmeg. Cook until the milk has evaporated.  Stir frequently.

4. When the milk has evaporated, add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly.  When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down until the sauce cooks at the laziest simmer, just an occasional bubble.  

Cook, uncovered for a minimum of  3  1/2  to  4 hours, stirring occasionally.  Taste  for salt. 

(This Ragu can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or it can be frozen for later use.  Reheat until it simmers for about 15 minutes before using.)  Serves 6.

Make Bechamel Sauce -

3 cups milk 

6 tablespoons butter

4  1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt  

It should be fairly thin, having the consistency of sour cream.

To assemble the lasagna, you will need:

Pre-cooked lasagna

1 T. salt

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. butter

Prepare the meat sauce (Ragu) and the béchamel sauce and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 or follow directions on the package of pasta.

Choose a 14-inch bake-and-serve lasagna pan.  (You can use packaged aluminum pans, too.)

 

Smear the bottom with a little bit of meat sauce, skimming it from the top of the pan, where there is more fat. 

Place a single layer of lasagna in the pan, overlapping the strips, if necessary, no more than 1/4 inch. Avoid propping up the edges of the pasta along the sides of the pan.  It will become dry and tough there. You can use broken pieces of lasagna to plug any gaps in the layers.

Spread enough sauce on the pasta to dot it with meat, then spread the bechamel over the meat sauce.  Before sprinkling cheese, taste the bechamel and meat sauce coating.  If it is on the salty side, sprinkle the grated cheese sparsely.  If it is rather bland, sprinkle the cheese freely. 

Add another layer of lasagna and coat it as before.  Note:  Since lasagna shouldn't be too thick,  make no more than 6 thin layers of lasagna and leave 1/2 inch at the top of the pan.  

Coat the top layer with bechamel, sprinkle with cheese, and dot lightly with butter.

When ready to bake, follow the directions on the box of lasagna for baking.

 

Allow the lasagna to settle 5 to 8 minutes after removing from oven before serving.  

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH PEPPERONI 1963

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH PEPPERONI 1963

From Billie Reid

1  5-6 oz. pkg. pepperoni
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt
8 oz. can mushrooms, pieces and stems
1 No. 2 can tomato juice (approx. 2 1/2 cups)
6 oz. can tomato paste
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. powdered oregano
1  1/2 cups water
8 ounces spaghetti

Chop pepperoni finely and let heat in frying pan 5 minutes.

Add ground beef and cook over medium heat until beef is browned.

Add onion, garlic, salt, mushrooms and mushroom liquid, tomato juice and paste and seasonings.

Add water, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove bay leaves.  

Cook spaghetti according to the directions on package, drain and serve with spaghetti sauce.

Top with Italian style grated Cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

CORN AND MACARONI FRITTERS

CORN AND MACARONI FRITTERS

From Billie Reid

1/2 cup macaroni
1  1/2 cups sweet corn
1 well-beaten egg
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup flour
dash white pepper

Cook macaroni in 2 cups boiling water to which 1 t. salt has been added. Boil 10-12 minutes or until tender.  Drain and rinse with warm water.

Mix with corn, green pepper, egg and the dry ingredients which have been mixed and sifted together.

Drop by spoon into deep hot fat and fry 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 16 fritters.

MACARONI CASSEROLE

Mom, her brother Damon, and sister Barbara

MACARONI CASSEROLE
From Barbara Thompson

1 7-8 oz. pkg. macaroni, cooked (penne)
4 T. butter
2 sliced onions
1 lb. hamburger
1 t. salt
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup tomato soup
1 cup milk
dash of pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Fry onions in butter.

Add meat and seasonings and brown.

Arrange layers in casserole of cooked macaroni, meat and cheese.

Mix soup and milk together and pour over all.

Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake 30 minutes.

PASTA SHELLS WITH BACON, PEAS, RICOTTA

PASTA SHELLS WITH BACON, PEAS, RICOTTA

From Vicki Troyer Bernardi

A quick dish...sauce can be made while pasta boils!

1/4 lb. lean bacon

5 oz. frozen peas, thawed

Salt

4 oz. ricotta1 lb. pasta shells
1  T. butter

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Pepper, freshly ground

Boil 4-5 quarts water, 1 T. salt and the pasta. Drain pasta when tender, but firm to the bite, al dente.

Saute bacon strips until lightly browned, less crisp than you might eat for breakfast; drain fat, leaving about 2 T. fat in the pan.

Add to the bacon thawed peas, stirring and cooking so they absorb the bacon flavor, then turn off the heat.

Into a serving bowl, spoon ricotta and butter and crumble with a fork.  Add pasta and toss 2-3 times with the ricotta and butter.

Pour the bacon and peas over the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly.

Add grated cheese and pepper and toss 2-3 more times.

Serve at once.

MACARONI CASSEROLE

An old favorite recipe of comfort food for the fall.  Happy fall, everyone!!

MACARONI CASSEROLE

From Lyn Sewell and Barbara Thompson

1 8 oz. package macaroni, cooked (penne)

4 T. butter

2 sliced onions

1 lb. hamburger

1 t. salt

1 cup grated cheese

1 cup tomato soup

1 cup milk

dash of pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Fry onions in butter. Add meat and seasonings and brown.  Arrange in casserole dish layers of cooked macaroni, meat and cheese.  

Mix soup and milk and pour over all.  

Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake 30 minutes

Enjoy!!

PEPPERONI PIZZA CASSEROLE

PEPPERONI PIZZA CASSEROLE

From Kristin Troyer

1 bag egg noodles (or rotini), cooked and drained.

1 extra large can spaghetti sauce (we use a jar of pizza sauce when we cut in half because it's smaller).

3 cups shredded mozzarella.

1 1/2 lbs. sausage (or hamburger) cooked and drained.

1 pkg. pepperonis.

I also like to sprinkle a little Italian seasoning in, too.

Preheat oven to 350.

Layer in a casserole dish -  a little sauce, 1/2 the noodles, 1/2 the sausage, 1/2 the sauce, rest of noodles, 1/2 the cheese, rest of sausage, rest of sauce, rest of cheese, and cover with pepperonis.

Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Then remove foil, and bake another 15 min.

Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

TUNA AND PASTA DINNER

TUNA AND PASTA DINNER 

From Judi Troyer  (recipe from Nancy Eckel)



Prepare spaghetti pasta according to the package directions. Drain, but save 1/2 cup pasta water to add some liquid to finished dish, if needed.

To the cooked pasta, add:

2  (6 1/2 oz.) cans tuna (drained)
2-3 heaping T. sweet pickle relish
1/2 to 1 cup of Miracle Whip or Mayo (your choice), to taste.

Serve on lettuce or with crackers or with a side salad and fruit.

QUICK SPAGHETTI MEAT SAUCE

QUICK SPAGHETTI MEAT SAUCE

From Lyn Sewell

3/4 to 1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 onion, chopped

28 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (your favorite variety)

1 can tomato soup

water

seasonings to taste

Brown ground meat and onions together until tender.  Add jar of spaghetti sauce. Stir in one can of tomato soup and one soup can of water.  Add oregano, garlic, and/or Italian seasonings to taste!

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Photo: Mom, Dad, Frances Henderson

Mom holding Josh

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

From Billie Reid

1 large fryer

1 stick butter

1 green pepper, chopped

1 large onion

1 clove garlic, crushed (or garlic powder)

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 can tomatoes, lightly mashed

1 can tomato sauce

1 large can mushrooms

1 lb. spaghetti

grated cheese for topping

olives and pimento, optional

Boil a large fryer. Remove meat from bones. Reserve broth.

In butter, saute the garlic, onion, celery, and pepper.  Add to this mixture the tomatoes, tomato sauce and mushrooms. May also add olives and pimento, if desired.

Cook 1 lb. spaghetti in the chicken broth. (Water may be added, if needed, to keep the spaghetti from sticking.)  Do not drain.

Place chicken pieces, tomato mixture, and undrained spaghetti  in casserole. Salt to taste. Add grated cheese to top and bake at 375 degrees until cheese melts.

The flavors in this recipe are better the second day. (or if made and left standing, covered, for awhile).

Recipe makes 2 large casseroles and may be frozen.  

MEAT BALLS

Grandpa and Grandma Holmes (Mom's parents)

MEAT BALLS

From Pearl Holmes

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 cup uncooked rice

1/2 cup thin cream

1 small onion, minced

salt to taste

Mix above ingredients. Make into balls each about the size of a walnut. Place in baking dish.

Then: 

1 can tomato soup

1/2 cup water

Mix together soup and water and pour over meat balls.  

Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 1 hour.

Serve with spaghetti, sprinkled with cheese.