Turkey Meatballs with Pasta in Marinara Sauce Easy ground turkey Italian meatballs simmered in marinara sauce and tossed with penne pasta for a delicious and healthy dinner. I used to make these turkey meatballs all the time for a relatively quick and easy family weeknight dinner. Made with ground turkey, they are tender, delicate and bouncy, and perfectly simmered in my favorite …
Cajun Macaroni Salad Cajun Macaroni Salad, a spicy Southern twist on a classic side dish for summer, this creamy Creole pasta salad will have everyone back for seconds! The perfect side dish for backyard BBQ’s and potluck gatherings. When tasked to bring a side dish to a summer gathering, do you lean towards potato salad? baked beans? maybe …
Pastitsio (Greek Lasgagna) Authentic Pastitsio, or Greek lasagna ~ layers of pasta, cinnamon-laced beef, Kasseri cheese and béchamel. Authentic Greek food. I love it all, from the Greek festivals here in St. Louis to Greektown back home in Chicago. And you’ll love this pastitsio. But first, I have to fill you in on where I got this recipe, …
Classic shrimp scampi with garlic, butter, lemon and wine sauce, tossed with linguine ~ on the table in 30 minutes. Last weekend, I had the house to myself, all weekend, for three whole days. I don’t even know the last time that happened. The girls are gone to college or beyond, and Meathead went on …
Turkey Tetrazzini Turkey Tetrazzini, a creamy casserole perfect for using that leftover Thanksgiving turkey ~ pasta baked in homemade cream sauce, with mushrooms, peas, Parmesan and diced turkey or chicken. Every year I say I’m going to make turkey tetrazinni with the leftover Thanksgiving Day turkey, and every year I make turkey noodle soup instead. This year, …
Pasta with Lemon, Asparagus, Artichokes and Prosciutto Pappardelle pasta in a creamy lemon sauce with asparagus, artichokes and prosciutto. With spring comes fresh asparagus, and all the ways I can think of to use it before it disappears. On the grill, sautéed, steamed, in risotto ~ we love the stuff. And this year, I made a creamy, dreamy pappardelle pasta with lemon, asparagus, …
Peanut Sesame Noodles Cool Peanut Sesame Noodles, highly additive and flavorful rendition of Chinese cold noodles tossed in fresh toasted sesame and peanut butter sauce, with added crunchy vegetables. Cold sesame noodles are a favorite of mine that I forget to make very often. In fact, I hadn’t made them in years until a few weeks ago. With the …
Spaghetti with Bacon Sauce Spaghetti with Bacon Sauce, simple and rustic version of the Italian classic all’Amatriciana, adapted from my dad’s Romeo Salta cookbook. I grew up in the 70’s with a father who was an amazing cook. He used to make a spaghetti with bacon sauce that I loved. If I came home from school and asked what’s for …
Classic Bolognese Ragù Full disclosure here ~ if I take my favorite jarred marinara sauce and doctor it up with browned ground beef, some onions and spices, Meathead thinks it’s the best pasta sauce he’s ever had. And it’s good, but it’s not Bolognese ragù. I’m not talking a quick 15 minute sauce here ~ this is a …
Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells in Marinara Sauce Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells ~ pasta shells stuffed with creamy ricotta, Italian cheeses and basil pesto, baked in marinara sauce. I found myself staring at one of my last jars of homemade marinara, wondering what I should make. Then I remembered a baked pasta dish I made years ago in Chicago. I would come back …