Southwestern Monterey Jack & Shells Casserole

Makes 6 (1 cup) servings.

Ingredients:
7 ounces (3 cups) uncooked dried pasta shells
1 pint (2 cups) half-and-half
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Topping Ingredients:
1/3 cup crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips

HEAT oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with no stick cooking spray.
COOK pasta shells according to package directions. Drain.
HEAT half & half in 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until half & half just comes to a boil (3 to 4 minutes). Add cream cheese, stirring until mixture is smooth and thickened (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in green chilies and salt. Add cooked pasta; toss to coat.
SPREAD half of pasta mixture evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish; top with half jalapeño jack cheese. Repeat layer once with remaining ingredients.
SPRINKLE crushed tortilla chips over top of casserole. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
*Substitute 2 cups milk.

Tip:
If the cheese in this recipe is too hot for your taste, substitute 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese for the 4 ounces pepper Jack cheese.

Spaghetti with Tuscan Diced Vegetable Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 large artichoke
1 large lemon, cut in half
2 medium-sized zucchini
1 large stalk celery
1 medium-sized red onion, peeled
1 medium-sized carrot, scraped
20 large sprigs parsley, leaves only
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ripe, fresh tomatoes or 1 pound canned tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1 pound dried spaghetti
salt

PLACE the artichoke in a bowl of cold water with the lemon halves; put the zucchini and celery in a second large bowl of cold water and soak both for 30 minutes.
CHOP the onion, carrot, and parsley. Place the oil in a heavy, medium-sized flameproof casserole over low heat, and when the oil is warm, add the chopped ingredients and sautè for 10 minutes.
CLEAN the artichoke and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the celery into similar-sized pieces. Add the vegetables to the casserole, sautè for 2 minutes, then cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon.
CUT tomatoes them into pieces. Pass fresh or canned tomatoes through a food mill, using the disc with the smallest hole into a ceramic or glass bowl. Add tomatoes to the casserole and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Cover and cook for 20 minutes more. Add the broth, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, taste for salt and pepper. (The sauce may be prepared a day in advance, refrigerated in a covered ceramic or glass bowl and reheated before using.)
BRING a large pot of cold water to a boil, add coarse salt to taste, then add the pasta and cook for 9 to 12 minutes depending on the brand. As the pasta cooks, warm a large serving dish and ladle some of the sauce onto it. Drain the pasta, transfer it to a prepared platter, add the remaining sauce, mix well and serve hot.

Red Bean & Vegetable Rigatoni

6 servings

Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked dried rigatoni* or your favorite uncooked dried pasta
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves** or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves.
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium (1cup) red pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can red or black beans, rinsed, drained
1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn with green and red peppers, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

COOK rigatoni according to package directions. Drain. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon basil. Keep warm.
MELT remaining butter in 10-inch skillet until sizzling; add green onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened (1 to 2 minutes).
ADD broccoli and red pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until peppers are crisply tender (3 to 4 minutes). Add remaining basil and all remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (2 to 3 minutes).
TOSS together hot vegetable mixture and hot cooked rigatoni; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Rotini and Cheese

8 servings

Ingredients:
4 cups (about 11 ounces) uncooked rotini or rotelle pasta
3 tablespoons butter, divided use
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, heated
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs Fresh parsley springs, optional

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 2-quart casserole or 13x9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
COOK rotini in salted boiling water until al dente (or firm); drain and set aside.
HEAT 2 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Slowly add flour; cook and stir about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk and continue to stir; cook about 6 minutes until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in mustard and salt. Remove from heat; stir in 3 cups cheese until smooth. Pour over cooked rotini; mix well. Pour into prepared dish.
COMBINE remaining 1/2 cup cheese, bread crumbs and dash of salt. Sprinkle over top of casserole.
BAKE about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and browned on top. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Portobella Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
8 ounces lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
2 (6-ounce) packages sliced Portobellas
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water1/4 teaspoon fennel seed (or anise seed)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 (28-ounce) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella

PREHEAT the oven to 350*F (175*C). Follow package directions and cook lasagna noodles al dente.
PLACE the mushrooms in a Dutch oven, add salt and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; remove the lid, add fennel, basil and oregano, stir, and cover again. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes. The mushrooms will have released much of their liquid and there should be about 1/2 cup in the pot.
REMOVE mushrooms out of the liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside. Over high heat, reduce the remaining liquid to 2 to 3 tablespoons. Add the marinara sauce; mixing well. Remove from heat.
COMBINE ricotta, egg and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in small bowl; season with salt and pepper; mix well.
LAYER 3 noodles in the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 - inch baking dish. In the order given, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 cup of mozzarella 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat two more times. For the top layer, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated thorough. Remove cover last 5 minutes of baking. Allow lasagna to sit for 15 minutes to before serving.