Ingredients Needed:

• chicken breast
• olive oil
• white wine vinegar
• garlic
• manicotti noodles
• salted butter
• heavy whipping cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese
• part-skim ricotta cheese
• egg
• fresh oregano and fresh basil
• mozzarella cheese

How to prep seasoned chopped chicken:

PREPARE THE CHICKEN:

To a large zip baggie, add the chicken, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Heat a skillet with a little olive oil. Saute the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Then chop.

How to make Chicken Manicotti Alfredo:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Favorite Recipes Using Alfredo:

• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Chicken Alfredo Soup
• Creamy Steak Alfredo Pasta
• Shrimp Scampi Alfredo
• Alfredo Zoodles with Shrimp and Bacon

Ingredients Needed:

• lasagna noodles
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• unsalted butter
• all purpose flour
• whole milk
• egg
• ricotta cheese
• frozen chopped spinach
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• grated Parmesan cheese
• pesto sauce
• crushed red pepper flakes

How to make Pesto Lasagna Rolls:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Preheat the oven to 425℉.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles 1 minute longer than the package says is al dente. The pasta should be tender enough so you can roll it without breaking. Drain; and rinse with cold water. Lay in a single layer on a cutting board.

MAKE THE BECHAMEL SAUCE:

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and is the consistency of a thin gravy, 6 to 8 minutes. Allow the bechamel sauce to cool slightly.

CONTINUE WITH THE FILLING & ASSEMBLY:

Cover the pan with foil, and bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is browned on top, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and then stir in the ricotta cheese, spinach, 1½ cups of the mozzarella cheese, ½ cup of the Parmesan, ½ cup of the pesto, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir the remaining ½ cup pesto into the slightly cooled bechamel sauce.

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread ¼ of the pesto-bechamel sauce on the bottom of the dish.

Spread ⅓ cup of the ricotta mixture evenly over each lasagna noodle. Starting with the short end, roll each noodle up. Ass you make the rolls, transfer them to the prepared baking dish seam-side-down. Spoon the remaining pesto-bechamel sauce over the lasagna rolls and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Recipes Using Pesto:

• Creamy Pesto Chicken
• Pesto Spaghetti Zoodles
• Chicken Pesto Sandwich
• Goat Cheese Ravioli with Winter Pesto Sauce
• Super Fast Spinach, Pesto and Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients Needed:

• pasta
• unsalted butter
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic
• cream cheese
• dry white wine
• lemons
• sour cream
• all purpose flour
• chicken broth
• crushed red pepper, salt and pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh thyme
• Rotisserie chicken

How to make Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta for 6 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium-heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and add the cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in the wine, lemon juice. Stir the flour into the sour cream, and then stir that mixture into the pan. Add the chicken broth, red pepper and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer until slightly thickened. Then remove from heat. 
4. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and thyme. Then stir in the partially cooked pasta and cooked chicken. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until lightly browned for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Favorite Pasta Recipes:

• Pasta Pomodoro
• Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• One Pot French Onion Pasta
• Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Salmon Pasta

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

With a good dose of three cheeses, sharp cheddar, herbed goat cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano, and a generous handful of crispy bacon, I can easily call this the best macaroni and cheese recipe ever!

🛒Ingredients needed:

• garlic
• parsley
• white bread
• butter
• bacon
• pasta
• milk
• flour
• thyme, mustard powder, red pepper flakes and nutmeg
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• white cheddar cheese
• goat cheese
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

✏️How to make Bacon Macaroni and Cheese:

*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.

PREPARE THE MAC and CHEESE:

1. In a large skillet, sauté the bacon until it is almost crisp. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain.
2. Spoon out the grease from pan, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings. Add the butter to the bacon drippings and heat to medium. When the butter sizzles, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly pour the hot milk into the flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles up and becomes thick. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the thyme, mustard powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then stir in 1 cup of the cheddar and the Chevre and Parmigiano cheeses.
3. Stir the cooked pasta and cooked bacon into the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. It will be soupy. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar onto the top, followed by the herbed breadcrumbs.
4. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Check at 15 minutes to make sure the breadcrumbs aren’t browning too quickly. (If they are, just place a sheet of foil loosely over the top). Transfer the dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipes Using Bacon:

• Bacon Wrapped Scallops
• Apple Bacon Salad
• Bacon Jam
• Bacon Burgers with Balsamic Caramelized Onions
• Green Beans with Bacon

The Best Shrimp Pasta!

If you are looking for a shrimp pasta dish that is creamy and wonderful and full of flavor, this is it! This is the best shrimp pasta. It’s like eating two great meals of fettuccine Alfredo and shrimp scampi all at once.

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

• fettuccine pasta
• large, raw shrimp
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• paprika
• extra virgin olive oil
• unsalted butter
• onion powder
• dry white wine
• garlic
• heavy whipping cream
• crushed red pepper flakes
• Parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley

✏️ How to make Shrimp Scampi Alfredo:

The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta (but do not rinse).
2. While the pasta cooks, season the shrimp with the salt, pepper and paprika. In a large, non-reactive skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until opaque and just cooked through. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the shrimp to a plate.
3. In the same pan over medium-heat, melt the butter. Add the onion powder and whisk for 30 seconds. Add the wine, using a whisk to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce until only about a quarter of the liquid remains, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
4. Whisk in the cream and the red pepper flakes. While continuing to whisk, bring the cream to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the sauce and whisk to combine. Remove the pan from heat, stir in the parsley, and season with more salt, pepper and paprika, if needed. If the sauce looks too thick, add the reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until you’ve achieved the desired consistency. Return the shrimp to the pan.

Favorite Shrimp Pasta Recipes:

• Chipotle Beer Shrimp Pasta
• Pasta with Shrimp and Feta
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Creamy Gruyere and Shrimp Pasta
• Rotini with Shrimp

Pasta with Garden Bolognese

Typical bolognese sauce has a base of meat, usually beef and/or sausage and sometimes other meats. This is a twist on the classic. It has a base of vegetables in a marinara sauce, made rich with red wine. It’s delicious, and it’s the perfect pasta sauce to use in the summer months.

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

• olive oil
• carrot
• onion
• celery
• red and green bell pepper
• portobello mushroom caps
• dried oregano
• garlic cloves
• marinara sauce
• dry red wine
• ziti pasta
• Parmesan cheese

✔️ Make Ahead Tips:

It’s certainly okay to make the sauce ahead of time. Keep in covered and refrigerated for a few days. Then you can warm it up and serve it over hot, cooked pasta. The sauce also freezes well. Freeze in a covered container for up to three months.

Recipes Using Ziti:

• Ziti with Vodka Sauce
• Three Cheese Baked Ziti
• Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
• Skillet Baked Ziti
• Ziti Carbonara with Salami

How these Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups came to be:

I was cleaning out my pantry like a madwoman recently and found some lasagna noodles- EIGHT, to be exact. It wasn’t enough to make a full-blown, proper classic lasagna, so I set to work thinking up something else to do with these pesky leftover noodles. I thought maybe I could break them apart and use them as pasta pieces in lasagna soup, but since the weather is warm, that wasn’t the best idea. Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups came to mind. Roll ups with a lasagna-like filling was the perfect option since it would be a good amount of food for dinner for my family, and there would be leftovers too.

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

• carrot
• red bell pepper
• zucchini
• corn on the cob
• red onion
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Ricotta cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• egg
• Swiss, Mozzarella or Gouda cheese
• lasagna noodles
• butter
• all purpose flour
• evaporated milk
• nonfat milk

✏️ How to assemble Lasagna Roll Ups:

*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

PREPARE THE FILLING:

Cook the noodles while you’re making your filling. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add the cooled vegetables and mix together.

NOODLES:

Lay the cooked noodles onto a flat surface (it’s good to lay them on some waxed paper if you have some, or spray a baking sheet lightly with nonstick spray).

PREPARE THE SAUCE:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour. Whisk in the warmed milks (I just warm a little in the microwave) gradually. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 3 minutes, then mix in the salt, pepper and Parmesan. Continue to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken, then remove from heat.*TIP: You can add a little of the “other” cheese in there, if you’d like too (I used a small sprinkle of Swiss)

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour sauce into the dish- just enough to cover the bottom. Spread a few tablespoons of the filling onto each lasagna noodle (as pictured). Sprinkle with shredded cheese (Swiss, mozzarella or gouda). Roll up each lasagna noodle and place, seam-side-down, into the pan. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Recipes with Roasted Vegetables:

• Roasted Vegetable Quinoa
• Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
• Easy Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables
• Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Tacos
• Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf

✔️What are the best kinds of clams to use for Linguine with Clam Sauce?

I know there are recipes out there that call for using fresh clams. That’s not this recipe. This is an easy, no-fuss version of clam linguine, and you’ll be using 3 cans of clams for this recipe. Any brand will do (there are usually just a couple of brands to choose from). Look for chopped canned clams instead of minced clams. When you make this recipe, you’ll open the can of clams and squeeze the clams dry, collecting the juice in a bowl. The juice will be used in the recipe, so be sure to save it.

✏️How to make Clam Linguine:

*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Make the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic and then the clams; stir together. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and less watery. Add in 1 more tablespoon of butter and stir to melt. Reduce heat and add the lemon juice. Add parsley and cream. Add salt and pepper. Stir well and taste for seasonings, adding a splash of clam juice if the sauce needs thinning.
3. Cook over low heat for 3 additional minutes, or until heated through.
4. Drain the pasta and put the hot pasta in a large bowl. Pour the sauce from the skillet onto the hot linguine. Toss to combine.
5. Serve in individual bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan (if desired) and serve with lemon wedge for garnish.

Clam Recipes:

• White Clam Pizza
• Clam Chowder
• Crostini with Clams
• Manhattan Clam Chowder
• Clam Dip
• Clam Bites
• Bacon Horseradish Baked Clam Dip
• Low Fat Clam Chowder