Nadia G's Aztec Soup

Because I'm lazy and because there's no reason to mess with perfection, go here for Nadia G's amazing Aztec Soup recipe. Seriously yummy stuff, very filling and low-cal.

Parpadelle with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms and Prosciutto

Courtesy of Nadia G! (My current fav :) This is beautiful looking, delicious and full of some great veggies as well as being true fast food (seriously, it's like lightning).

14 oz Papardelle pasta (rather pricey at Meijer, try Trader Joe's for some that's way cheaper)

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

Baby asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 Thai chile, minced (I couldn't find one, so I used a serrano instead)

2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, sliced

Pinch brown sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Prosciutto di Parma, sliced into ribbons

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:

Cook the papardelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Strain.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic to the pan and saute until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Throw in the baby asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and Thai chile. Saute for 8 minutes or until the veggies are tender but still crisp. Add the tomatoes to the pan and season generously with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and brown sugar. Give it a good stir and let the tomatoes sauce up for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and prosciutto to the pan, mix it up for a couple of minutes so the flavors meld together.

Serve the pasta topped with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Eva Fury's Baked Ziti

My take on the classic dish...add additional spices (oregano, basil, pepper, etc.) as you see fit!

Ingredients:

1 box penne pasta

1 jar pasta sauce of your choice (I think the chunkier the sauce the better, but that's me)

1 "tube" ground sausage

1 8 oz brick of mozzarella cheese, grated (can use shredded cheese, but that can sometimes be a little too dry)

1 16 oz. tub ricotta cheese

2 packages of fresh, sliced mushrooms (canned, sliced works too)

Red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Salt pasta water and bring to a boil. Cook penne as directed on box.

2. Brown sausage and, if desired, add some red pepper flakes to taste. When sausage is done browning, add mushrooms to pan and saute until golden. Add garlic and allow to become golden as well. Set aside.

3. In a 9 x 13" pan, begin layering ingredients. Begin with pasta sauce (doesn't need to be heated in advance), then a layer of noodles, sausage mixture, ricotta and Mozzarella. Continue with layers until all ingredients are used. Top with Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a glass of red wine and crusty bread!

Buffalo chicken pasta

So yummy! You can use the sauce for regular buffalo wings or toss it around in pasta as instructed here.

2 lbs of boneless chicken breast (approximately)

Red pepper flakes (to taste)

Cayenne pepper (to taste)

Ground black pepper (to taste)

Spaghetti or fettucini (or pasta of your choice)

6 Tbsp butter

8 Tbsp Franks Red Hot sauce

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Fresh mozzarella or chunk mozzarella (not pre-shredded) cut into small cubes

Tobasco sauce

1. Put salted water on to boil for pasta. Add pasta when ready.

2. Trim fat off chicken. Cut into 1-inch pieces and season with black pepper. (If you want, toss the chicken in flour seasoned with cayenne and black pepper. It's tasty, but adds an extra step).

3. Cook chicken in olive oil until browned along with cayenne and pepper flakes. Set aside.

4. Melt butter in a small saucepan with vinegar and Franks Red Hot. Add Tobasco to taste.

5. When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot with a little bit (1/3 cup) of pasta water. Add chicken and cheese and toss to allow cheese to begin melting.

6. Pour sauce over pasta mixture, toss and serve with bleu cheese dressing.

Mac n' Cheese Soup

Ok, so, this admittedly sounds a little gross, but it is SO good (maybe lethal, but good) and the perfect sort of thing for those cold and rainy fall days around here. We made it with just cheddar cheese, but I imagine you could use all sorts of cheeses in this (I bet a bit of gruyere would be good in this, but then when ISN'T gruyere good??) I also imagine that if you want to go for the full heart-attack version, starting with some chopped up bacon in with the onion and celery might be good...

The recipe came from a freebie copy of Cuisine magazine that I got in the mail and, I'll give them this, there are a number of rather interesting recipes there and if they're as good as this one...

Serve with buffalo wings (or chicken tenderloins tossed with some buffalo sauce) for a truly yummy treat.

1.5 ups dry elbow macaroni

1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup minced celery

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I was more liberal with the pepper than this...)

2 cups whole milk

4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

salt to taste

1/4 crumbled bleu cheese

2 tbsp. minced fresh chives

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted water according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Sweat onion and celery in butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour to coat and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne. Simmer until slightly thickened, 5 minutes, then whisk in milk and warm through. Do not let boil or base may become grainy.

Add cheddar, 1 cup at a time, allowing it to melt completely before adding the next cup. Stir in macaroni, lemon juice, and salt; remove from heat.

Combine bleu cheese and chives in a small bowl. Garnish each serving with bleu cheese mixture.