Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables and Basil

One of my co-workers has a garden, and he occasionally will bring me a vegetable. This week's vegetable was a yellow summer squash. To be honest, I haven't ever used squash in any of the dishes I've made since I got married, or perhaps ever! This is embarrassing, I know! When I brought the squash home I got a response of "Ew" from my husband which gave me even more determination to use this squash and make him like it! In my searching for a recipe, I came across this recipe on the Martha Stewart website. It looked delish and quick (something I'm fond of when I'm cooking after work). I did a bit of my own tweeking to the original recipe and added zucchini for some color (why not just go on a squash fest since I've never been brave enough to use it?). Well, lets just say it was a hit and that hubby of mine even came back for seconds!

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced 1 inch thick crosswise, halved if large


• 1 zucchini, sliced 1 inch think crosswise, halved


• 1 pint grape tomatoes


• 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• 1/8 cup olive oil


• salt and ground pepper


• 16 oz. short pasta (the recipe calls for campanelle or fusilli, but I used elbow macaroni because I had it on hand)


• 2-3 tablespoons butter


• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving


• 1 tsp. dried basil (the recipe calls for 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves, but my husband misunderstood my request for them when he went to the store. So, dried basil it was!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast without tossing until tender and starting to brown, 30-40 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, and return to pot.


3. Add vegetables, butter, Parmesan, and basil to pasta; season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

Southwest Skillet Ragu

• 1-1.5 lbs. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red (green, yellow, or orange) pepper, chopped
• 1/2 container mushrooms, quartered
• 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt, plus additional to taste
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup water (as needed)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat a tsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet that will be deep enough to hold everything. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
2. Stir in the onions and mushrooms, and cook until the onions are soft and slightly tranlsucent. Add the peppers, spices and salt, and continue to saute until vegetables are mostly cooked.
3. Add tomatoes with their juices and bring to a boil. Add the pasta. Let the water come back to a boil and then reduce the heat. Allow everything to simmer about 10 minutes until the pasta isel dente and the veggies are cooked through. (If it looks like the liquid is gone before the pasta is cooked, add the 1/2 cup of water.)
4. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and stir until the cheese is melted and gooey. Spoon into individual bowls and serve!

Glorified Macaroni and Cheese

• 8 oz. elbow macaroni
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 jar (4 oz.) diced pimiento, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and return to saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Lactose free variety: Use lactose free Cabot cheddar cheese. Omit cream of mushroom soup and add an additional 1/3 cup mayo.

Penne Pasta

This recipe is from Julie Freeman, my young women's president when I was in high school.

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped ham
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 cup white grape juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped gresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb (16 oz.) penne pasta
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Heat butter and oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter and olive oil mixture. Stir in ham and chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is brown. Stir in grape juice. Heat over high heat until hot. Stir in whipping cream, olives, parsley, and papper. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Cook penne as directed on package. Mix penne and cream mixture; top with cheese.