Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

So... as I was making this I realized that it was very similar to my Spicy Mac with Chicken and Broccoli recipe. I probably should have used another veggie, but I love broccoli sooo much. Anyway, the sauce is different, and both are delicious, so let's just say it's a variation. :)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, sliced into small strips

2 heads of broccoli, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. butter 

4 oz cream cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced fine

1 1/4 cup milk

4 oz. parmesan, grated

pepper to taste

1 lb. fettucini noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Zuppa Toscana

This is a copy cat recipe for my favorite soup from Olive Garden, Zuppa Toscana, which literally means "Tuscan soup." It is basically an Italian sausage and kale soup, but I added some red Swiss chard to give it some nice color. Also, I did 2 lbs of sausage, which ended up being a little much, so I suggest doing either 1.5 lbs or even just 1 lb, unless you like your soup super meaty & hearty.

Ingredients:

1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed

1 lb hot italian sausage, casings removed

5 red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch kale, cut into 1 inch strips

1/2 bunch red Swiss chard

2 cartons (32 oz each) chicken broth

1 cup cream (I used half-and-half)

Shredded parmesan, for garnish

Shrimp Farfalle with Basil-Walnut Pesto

I expected this to come out better, but since Hurricane Sandy is coming through soon, the store was completely out of fresh shrimp so I had to use frozen. Ahh well, my guinea pigs (aka friends who I force to eat my experimental recipes) all loved it.

I usually use pine nuts for my pesto, but walnuts are much cheaper, and taste great too. I think next time I will toast the walnuts first.

Ingredients:

2 oz. fresh basil leaves, plucked from stems

1/2 c. oil

3/4 c. walnuts, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 c. grated parmesan

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 head broccoli

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined

16 oz. farfalle pasta, cooked and drained

Vodka Bolognese Lasagna

Sometimes I like to make the sauce from scratch but sometimes I just don't have time. If you use a quality jarred sauce and diced or crushed tomatoes, it will still be delicious. So here is my easy version of lasagna.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground beef

1 oz. fresh basil, chopped

14.5 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

24 oz. bottle of vodka pasta sauce (I used Via Roma)

1 lb mozzarella, shredded

2 lb ricotta

8 oz oven ready lasagna

non-stick spray (PAM or other brand)