FETTUCINI ALFREDO with PEAS AND CHICKEN

Here at the Forbes house we get strong cravings for pasta from time to time, so I try not to fight it and just go with it. Yesterday thoughts of a creamy, dreamy Alfredo sauce kept invading my brain so last night I came up this mighty tasty pea and chicken pasta dish. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy it as much as we did. It is finger licking good!

8 oz. fettucini pasta
10 oz. frozen green peas
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, pan-fried in Amish butter and cut in chunks
1 (28 oz.) jar light or regular Alfredo sauce

Bring a large heavy stockpot full of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Break the fettucini in half and add to boiling water one half at a time. Never add pasta all at one time to the water, you always want your water to remain at the boiling point. Set your timer to 5 minutes and when it goes off add the frozen peas and continue cooking for 4 minutes~no more. Drain in a colander, return to pot and add jar of Alfredo sauce and the chicken.

Serve with cheese and garlic biscuits and a green salad.
Serves 4 happy campers

"Fettucini alfredo is macaroni and cheese for adults."~Mitch Hedberg

ROASTED RED PEPPER RIGATONI

sssh...don't tell anybody, but I am having a love affair with red bell peppers. I simply adore them! Can't ever get enough of that red flesh!
Maybe it has something to do with my life long love affair with the color red. Red lips, red sweater, red truck, red earrings, red dress, red shoes, red pocketbook...you get the picture.

                

1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced, peeled tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon each of salt & white pepper
8 ozs. rigatoni pasta, cooked just almost to al dente
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonated, that's a fancy word for rolling up the basil leaves and then cutting them in thin strips with a sharp knife

Place the bell peppers skin side down on a broiler pan and press down to flatten. Broil for 10 minutes or until the skin is blackened. Remove the pepper to a paper bag. Seal and allow to stand for 10 minutes or so. Remove from the bag and rub off the blackened skin with your fingers, don't worry, it comes off easily. Slice the pepper halves into 1/2-inch pieces. Roasting the peppers in this method makes them mighty sweet to your taste buds.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes, salt and white pepper. Simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the roasted bell pepper and cook just until heated through. Toss the pasta with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in serving bowl. Add the tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Top with the basil strands. Serve warm with a green salad on the side.
Serves 4

"If you want to eat something, eat a bell pepper. Crave something sweet? ... Bell pepper. Homer Simpson: It tastes good like pepper, but crunchy like a bell. 

 If you want to eat something, eat a bell pepper. Crave something sweet? ... Bell pepper. Homer Simpson: It tastes good like pepper, but crunchy like a bell. 


"If you want to eat something, eat a bell pepper. Crave something sweet? ... Bell pepper. It tastes good like pepper, but crunchy like a bell."~Homer Simpson

15-MINUTE CREAMY FETTUCCINE ALFRED0

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese will offer maximum flavor in this dish. For convenience, buy it in the cheese section of your grocery store.

8-oz. fettuccine, uncooked
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk

Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Place in a serving bowl and keep warm.

Combine cream cheese and remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until cheeses and butter melt, stirring frequently. Add cheese mixture to reserved fettuccine; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4


"I never met an Alfredo dish that I didn't like."~Adele Forbes

Fusilli with Fresh Spinach and Ricotta (Submitted by Chad Jason Smith)

Fusilli with Fresh Spinach and Ricotta
Fusilli con Spinaci e Ricotta
The spring‑like shape of fusilli does more than just look good. It produces a great tactilesensation in your mouth and collects all the ricotta sauce in its grooves.
Makes 6 servings

Salt
1 ½ pounds young spinach
1 pound fusilli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup trimmed and chopped spring onions or scallions
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta, preferably fresh
1 cup half‑and‑half or light cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup reserved pasta cooking water
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the stems from the spinach. Swish the spinach leaves in a large bowl or sinkful of cool water to clean. If there is a lot of sand and grit in the bottom of the bowl, change the water and wash the leaves again. Drain the spinach leaves and dry them well, preferably in a salad spinner. Stack several of the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1/4 inch strips. Repeat with the remaining spinach. You should have about 8 packed cups of shredded spinach.

Stir the fusilli into the boiling water. Cover the pot and reheat to boiling, stirring once or twice. When the water returns to a boil, uncover the pot. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente— tender but firm— about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and steam the spinach until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes.

In a small bowl stir the ricotta and half and half until smooth. Stir the ricotta mixture and the butter into the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the spinach mixture and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a sauce that lightly coats the pasta. Toss thoroughly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a warm serving platter or individual bowls and serve immediately.

PISTACHIO CHICKEN PASTA

Chicken, garlic, pistachios, limes and linguine team up to make this one of the best pasta dishes ever! It's an easy, yet gastronomic adventure.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, halved
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
2 limes
1/4 teaspoon each of pepper and grated lime rind
1 lb. linguine, cooked

Place 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil in a deep frying pan; cook together until it foam. Add garlic and cook until brown; remove. Add chicken and cook until fork tender; remove. Add nuts to pan and toast lightly. Stir in pepper, juice of two limes and peel. Re-add chicken and the rest of the butter and stir well. Toss the chicken/pistachio mixture with the warm, cooked linguine and serve.
Serves 4

“People have been cooking and eating for thousands of years, so if you are the very first to have thought of adding fresh lime juice to scalloped potatoes try to understand that there must be a reason for this.”~Fran Lebowitz, Metropolitan Life (1978)

PASTA PRIMAVERA

This is one of our top 5 pasta dishes ever. I guarantee that if you try it, it will be yours as well. Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread.

1 cup whipping cream
1/2 lb. fresh snow pea pods, trimmed
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet red pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 cup small broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 (16oz.) pkg. linguine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat until warm Set aside.
Saute vegetables in butter and oil in a large skillet until almost crisp-tender.
Add cream, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cook linguine according to package directions; drain well. Place on a large serving platter. Top with vegetable mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper, toss gently. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 to 6

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."
Federico Fellini

PASTA PIE

Another favorite recipe of my catering clients, Pasta Pie is literally to die for and easy to make. Use Classico's tomato basil pasta sauce that you can find on your grocers shelf. Children, teenagers, and adults love this special pie.

2 1/2 cups hot, cooked, pasta (elbow, penne, or rigatoni)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups store-bought spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine cooked pasta with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and butter. Press into a buttered 9-inch pie plate, or square dish. Top with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and drain. Add spagheti sauce and oregano; salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven just to melt the cheese. Cut into wedges or squares. Serves 4 to 6
COOKS NOTE: In my humble opinion, Parmigiano Reggiano is the best parmesan cheese available. However it is expensive, though a little can go a long way. I buy small wedges of it in the grocers deli and keep it on hand to grate over pizzas, salads, ect. You can find other good parmesans hanging in the refrigerated display with the other bagged cheeses. Either one of these are exceptable and so much better than what is sold on the shelfs.

"Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable."
Ina Garten

BLONDIE'S CARBONARA

This wonderful recipe comes from the book "Southern Elegance" by the Junior League of Gaston County, North Carolina. I collect Junior League cookbooks like other women collect shoes.

1 1/2 lbs. bacon, diced
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup Chablis or other dry white wine
1 (12oz.) pkg. fettuccine
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard drippings. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Add onion, pepper, and mushrooms, and saute until tender. Add wine, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain well. Immediately toss hot fettuccine with melted butter, remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, eggs, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, and chopped parsley. Sprinkle with bacon and freshly ground pepper. Toss gently.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

"Lisa honey, are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?”~Dan Castellaneta

ALL-DAY MACARONI & CHEESE

The slow-cooker in my opinion is one of the handiest gadgets you can have in your kitchen. All you have to do is put your ingredients in it, place the lid on top and then forget about it until its time to eat.
This is one of our favorite macs and cheese recipes. It gets crusty and browned around the outside of the crock and creamy and yummy on the inside. All ages love it.

                                                             
8oz. dried elbow macaroni-cooked
16oz. (4 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (12oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add macaroni. Reserve 1 cup of the cheese. Add remaining ingredients to macaroni. Mix well. Sprinkle the reserved cup of cheese over the top. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or until golden around the edges and set.

COOKS NOTE: I use my medium-size slow cooker for this recipe.

"We're not building a rocket ship here, we're cooking-plain and simple."-Emeril Lagasse

LIL' NAN'S FRYING PAN GOULASH

Hi Sis! Thought some of your recipe lovers might like an easy recipe that feeds a lot & taste good to. Smells so good cooking you can't hardly stand it.

1 Pound Ground Beef, 1 can (28 oz.) stewed tomatoes, 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of celery soup, 2 cups frozen corn, 1 green pepper chopped, 1 onion chopped, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce & 3 cups of cooked elbow macaroni

In a large frying pan cook the beef until no longer pink, drain. Stir in the tomatoes, soup, corn, green pepper, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir in the macaroni and heat through.

Ray & I like this a lot. Thought some others might to.
Love ya, Nan

Lil' Nan is my sister and she is married to Ray Trice, Bud and Earl's brother and I just want to say YOU CAN COOK TOO and I love you

CLAM LINGUINE

I have been making this dish for many years and let me tell you that it is one of the cheapest, easiest, quickest things that you can come up with for dinner. Throw a salad in with LARRY'S FAVORITE DRESSING and a chunk of bread and you have a meal fit for a king.

1 8oz. pkg, linguine
2 (6oz.) cans minced clams
2 Tbsp. each of olive oil and butter
2 cloves garlic-minced
1/4 to 1/3 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. each of dried basil and oregano
salt to taste
2 Tbsp. fresh snipped parsley-use that dried stuff if that is all you have
grated Parmesan cheese

Start linguine cooking. Drain both cans of clams, reserving juice from 1 can. Over medium-high heat, heat the butter and oil until butter is melted. Add the garlic, cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes (do not allow garlic to brown). Add reserved clam liquid and pepper through salt. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Stir in the clams; simmer until heated through. Add parsley. Drain cooked to al dente pasta. Pour sauce over, toss gently. Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.
For the first time you make this have all your ingredients at hand. After that it will be a no-brainer it is so easy. You can actually cook the entire dish in the time it takes you to boil the linguine. It is delicious and you can prepare the salad and the dressing ahead of time. Serve with whatever bread you have toasted to a turn. And most importantly, set down together as a family/and or friends and enjoy the camaraderie.

"We are the music makers, we are the dreamers of dreams."

SPINACH LASAGNA

This is our favorite lasagna.

1 box "no boil" lasagna, 2 Tbsp. Olive oil, 3/4 cup chopped onions, 3 cloves garlic-minced, 2 jars tomato and basil pasta sauce, 1 15oz. Ricotta cheese, 20 oz. Frozen chopped spinach-thawed and well drained, 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese-divided, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs-beaten, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.

In large saucepan add onion and garlic to hot oil and cook until tender. Stir in spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 minutes. Combine ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella and all Parmesan and eggs. In large baking dish layer 2 cups sauce, half the lasagna, half the remaining sauce, all the spinach, half the remaining mozzarella, lasagna and sauce. Cover with foil, bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Uncover. Top with mozzarella and parsley. Bake 15 more minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

"I never met a Spinach Lasagna that I did not like."~Adele Forbes

THE BEST EVER MACS AND CHEESE

This recipe came from the 'Relay For Life Cookbook', put out by United Community Banks. I bought one and have so many cookbooks that I never got around to using it, so I gave it to my good friend and neighbor, Beverly Staring, from the Globe. She is a wonderful cook and brought this dish to one of our summer cookouts and everybody just ooohed and ahhed and were literally swooming. What is so special you ask about this particular macs & cheese? How about 10 cups of Cheddar cheese and a homemade white sauce. If that doesn't do it for you your trigger is not going to get flipped!

1 (16oz.) box elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp. butter
1 (16oz.) sour cream
8 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cook macs as directed. Place in large mixing bowl and add the butter while macs are still hot. Add the sour cream, mixing well; then add the cheese, mixing well again. Place in a 4 qt. casserole dish.

Make White Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. self-rising flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups evaporated canned milk
2 cups shredded cheddar

Combine all ingredients except cheese in bowl. Cook in microwave at 2 minute intervals until it begins to thicken. Pour over mixture in casserole dish and dot with 2 more Tbsp. of butter. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and top with 2 more cups of shredded cheddar. Bake 15 minutes longer, uncovered, until top is lightly browned.
Serves 10 to 12.

"It's diamonds in your pockets one week, macaroni and cheese the next."~
Jolene Blalock

MY SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

This is assuredly one of my top 5 favorite dishes. It has been gracing our family tables for at least 35 years and every one who has ever had the pleasure of tasting it falls in love with it as well.

                                                              
MEATBALLS:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 slices wheat bread-crumbled
2 lbs. ground chuck
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add milk and bread, mix well. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add chuck, onion, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper; mix until well blended. Shape into 24 meatballs, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place in shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.

                                                              
SAUCE:

1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (2lb. 3 oz.) Italian-style tomatoes
12 oz. tomato paste
1 lb. package spaghetti
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

                                                             
In 5 qt. Dutch oven, in hot oil, over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until golden. Add remainder of sauce ingredients and 1/2 cup water, mashing tomatoes with wooden spoon. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally. Cook spaghetti to al dente; drain.
To Serve: Place spaghetti on serving dish. Top with meatballs and sauce; sprinkle with cheese.
Serves:4 to 6

                                                            

"The girls tackle their spaghetti and meatballs with hands, forks and aplomb.."-anon