Chicken Alfredo

I usually just crack open a jar of alfredo sauce when I'm in the mood for alfredo but when I saw this recipe I figured I'd give it a whirl.

1lb pasta of your liking - I used angel hair because that's what I had in the house.
1lb chicken, cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 cups fat free milk
1 cup half & half
1 cup parmesan cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Cook chicken & garlic in butter over medium heat. Remove chicken, keep warm. Combine corn starch & milk until smooth. Stir into skillet. Add cream. Bring to a boil & cook while stirring until thickened. Stir in cheese, continue to stir until cheese is melted. Add spinach, chicken & italian seasoning. Add pasta to mixture. Cook & stir until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

makes 12 1 cup servings

Ooey Gooey Pasta

My little girl likes to take cookbooks out at the library. . how cute is that? This is a recipe from one of those cookbooks. Kid friendly to make & delicious to eat. Can't beat it. I adjusted the recipe to make it enough for us to all have.



1lb pasta *I always use Smart Taste
1 jar of sauce *depending on how much sauce you like. I used 1 1/2 16oz cans
1/2lb ground beef
8oz mushrooms
1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups shredded fat free mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook pasta according to directions. I add in my bag of frozen broccoli with the pasta. Drain.
Brown meat. Add mushrooms & cook until tender.
Combine meat, mushrooms, pasta & broccoli in a bowl. Stir in sauce. & half the mozzarella cheese. Pour into 9x13 pan. Top with rest of mozzarella cheese & sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 30 mins.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 393.1
Total Fat: 6.2 g
Cholesterol: 33.2 mg
Sodium: 854.9 mg
Total Carbs: 61.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 11.1 g
Protein: 30.2 g

Tortellini Primavera

1 9oz package cheese tortellini
1 cup sliced asparagus
1 cup cubed yellow squash
1 cup cubed zucchini
1/2 cup sundried tomato halves
2 Tbsp pesto
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini 8 mins. Add asparagus, squash & zucchini. Cook another 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.

While pasta cooks, heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, pesto & garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 1-2 minutes; stirring constantly. Add reserved liquid, pasta, vegetables & basil. Toss. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 1 1/2 cup servings. 6pts each.

Roasted Vegetable Penne Bake

2 large zucchini or squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces *I left this out, don't like peppers
1/2lb medium fresh mushrooms, halved
1 small onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
8oz uncooked pasta, I use smart taste
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes, drained
2 oz provolone cheese, shredded *I forgot to buy this so I omitted it
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp butter, cubed


Cook pasta according to directions.

Combine zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms, olive oil & italian seasoning. Toss to coat. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

Combine pasta, roasted vegetables, tomatoes, provolone, peas, mozzarella cheese & 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese. Dot with butter. Cover. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Uncover. Bake 10-15 minutes more.

Next time I made this recipe I will add crushed red pepper and garlic to the mixture. And use portabello mushrooms instead of white button mushrooms.

makes 6 servings. 5pts each

Pasta Jambalaya

2 tsp olive oil
1lb andouille sausage, diced *I used turkey andouille
1lb medium shrimp
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup tomato, seeded & diced *I used a can of diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper OR 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can chicken broth
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
6-8 dashes hot sauce
1/8 cup scallions, chopped
1lb smart taste pasta

Cook pasta according to directions.

Heat oil over medium heat in large stock pot. Add sausage, saute 8-10 minutes until browned. Remove with slotted spoon, keeping grease in pot. Add shrimp. Cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from pot. Add onion, celery, scallions & peppers. Saute until tender. Add tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno/cayenne, salt, black pepper & tomato paste. Cook until blended well. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in cooked pasta, sausage, shrimp & hot sauce. Cover. Simmer 5-10 minutes.

Serves 8. 7pts each

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

1lb Smart Taste Pasta
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup ricotta cheese *part skim
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1 1/2 cup sauce *I used leftover meat sauce
1 1/2 cups fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
30 slices turkey pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375.
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Stir in egg, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese & italian seasoning. Transfer to baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Spread with pizza sauce, top with pepperoni & sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes

Serves 6 at 7pts each

California Chicken Spaghetti

1lb uncooked Angel hair pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless, chicken breasts cut into strips
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp basil
2 tbsp cajun seasoning
10 roma tomatoes, diced
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on box.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, cook until no longer pink in the middle. Stir in garlic, basil, cajun seasoning & tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are semi soft. Toss with pasta & top with feta cheese.

Beef & Egg noodles

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 onion, choped
1 egg
3/4 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup (4oz) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 package Smart Taste egg noodles.

cook pasta according to directions. drain. set aside.

add ground beef & onion to skillet. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Stir in egg, bread crumbs, sauce, s&p and cheese.

top egg noodles with beef mixture.

Such a simple dinner. Ready in 15 minutes.

Shrimp & Zucchini with pasta

1lb shrimp
1/2lb cooked pasta
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 shallots *I omitted these
1 zucchini, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fat free broth
1 tbsp parsley *optional
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes


Cook pasta according to directions.

Heat skillet until very hot. Spray with olive oil. Saute shrimp & then set aside. Add olive oil to pan. Add shallots & garlic. Saute one minute. Add tomatoes & zucchini. Add broth & red pepper flakes. Return shrimp to pan & simmer 1-2 minutes. Stir in with pasta in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley. 5 servings, 6pts each

Pasta Primavera

1lb Smart Taste Pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup vegetable broth *I used water instead
4 carrots, 1/2 inch slices *I used baby carrots I had on hand
1lb broccoli florets
1 zucchini, 1/2 inch slices
1 squash, 1/2 inch slices
12 basil leaves, chopped *optional
parmesan cheese to taste

Cook pasta according to package.

Heat pan, add oil. Saute onion & garlic until onions are clear. Add broth & carrots to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add broccoli, zucchini & squash. Return to boil. Reduce heat & simmer, covered, until vegetables are crisp & tender; 7-8 minutes. Serve immediately sprinkled with parmesan cheese & basil.

Pasta with Asparagus & Mushrooms

8oz Angel Hair Pasta *I used smart taste
1 1/2lbs asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
1/2lb mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup broth *I used chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup parm cheese
red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook pasta according to directions, drain, keep warm.
Heat oil in large pan. Saute asparagus, 3 mins. Add broth & mushrooms. Saute 3 mins. Toss with pasta. Sprinkle on parm cheese & red pepper flakes.

4 servings. 4pts each.

Picture updated 9/24/10

Pastitsio

3 cups fat free milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 eggs, lightly beaten
8 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 lb uncooked spaghetti
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3/4lb ground beef
1lb plum tomatoes *I used cherry because they were on sale*
2 garlic cloves
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 7x11 pan with non stick spray *I used 9x13 pan*

Make spaghetti according to box.

To make white sauce: combine milk, cornstarch & eggs in sauce pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, 7-9 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 6 tbsp parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper & nutmeg. Cover & set aside.

To make filling: heat skillet, add oil. Once oil is hot, add onion. Then add beef & cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring often, until liquid evaporates.

Arrange half cooked spaghetti on bottom of baking dish. Top with filling & then rest of spaghetti. Spread sauce over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp parmesan cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings, 6 points each (7 if you use reduced fat milk instead of fat free)

Our take on this recipe: Two thumbs down. The cinnamon was the only flavor this dish had & it didn't seem like it even belonged in this recipe. won't make it again.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

9 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
15oz part skim ricotta
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
32oz tomato sauce
9 tablespoons fat free mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Combine spinach, ricotta, parmesan, & egg(with a little salt & pepper to your liking) in a medium bowl. Ladle 1 cup of sauce onto bottom of 9x13 dish.

Place wax paper on counter & lay out lasagna noodles (dry). spoon ricotta mixture & spread evenly on noodle. Roll carefully and place seam down in dish. Ladle sauce over noodles and top each with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Cover dish with foil & bake 40 mins.

1 roll = 4pts.