Penne with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella, and Prosciutto

From "Everyday Italian" by Giada De Laurentiis.

8 oz. dried penne or ziti
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
3 oz. smoked mozzarella, diced (about 1/2 cup)
3 oz. thinly slices prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, thinly sliced

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add pasta and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.   Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but firm to the bite.   Drain the pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
2.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the psata, asparagus, salt and pepper, and the 1 cup of cooking liquid, tossing to coat. 
3.  Remove from heat and add mozzarella, prosciutto, and basil.   Toss to combine.   Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Spaghetti

This is an easy pasta that is great as a light meal or a side dish.  We serve it with grilled salmon.
From Giada de Laurentiis Everday Itallian Cookbook

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesean cheese (we use asiago)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 pound dried spaghetti (we use whole wheat)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, cheese, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to blend.  Set the lemon sauce aside. (The suace can be made up to 8 hours ahead.  Cover and refridgerate.  Bring to room temperature before using.)
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
4. Add the spaghetti to the lemon sauce, and toss with the basil and lemon zest.
5. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten.
6. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste.

Yields: 4 main-course servings or 6 side-dish servings

Margherita Pasta

Pestos are easy to make, quick, and taste great.  We love them.  This one uses Basil Pesto.

1 package Bow Tie pasta (16 oz.)
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 package grape or champagne tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup olive oil
1 package asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large bot, bring water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.
2.  Meanwhile to prepare the pesto, in a food processor, blend the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper and grind thoroughly.
3.  As the food prodcessor runs, add the olive oil slowly until the pesto is smooth in consistency.
4.  Add 2 handfulls of cheese and blend with the food processor again.
5.  Empty pesto into large serving dish and add pasta.   Mix the pasta with the pesto adding about 1/2 of the pasta cooking liquid.
6.  Add tomatoes and extra cheese and mix thoroughly.  Makes about 8 servings.

Chicken Spaghetti

Originally given to us by Pat Pratt and modified to our tastes.  One of Shalise's favorite comfort foods.

1 lb chicken breast
1 large onion chopped
1 orange sweet bell pepper chopped
1 package fresh portabella mushrooms sliced
1 lb 2% velvetta
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 box whole wheat thin spaghetti
1 can Rotel
1 can Campbell's 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1.  Boil chicken in several cups of water until cooked through.   Remove chicken from pot and let cool.  Chop chicken.   Save 1-1/2 quarts of cooked broth.
2.  Heat 1-1/2 quarts of broth to boiling and cook spaghetti as instructed.
3.  Meanwhile, sautee onion, pepper, and mushrooms in olive oil until tender.
4.  Once noodles are cooked, add rotel and Worcestershire sauce to spaghetti pot.  Cook 5 minutes.
5.  Add soup, mushrooms, onions, and peppers to spaghetti pot and stir well.
6.  Add velvetta in chunks and stir until melted.
7.  Add chopped chicken to pot and stir thoroughly.
8.  Transfer to 1 extra large or 2 medium casserole dish(es).  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
We bake ours in 2 dishes so we can have one for leftovers later in the week.