Cajun Chicken Pasta

OMG - Check out the yummyness that is this pasta!! I almost couldn't take a picture because the salivating mouths were coming from the wood works to demand dinner!

Lauren is married off and I now have time to start cooking again!! I got through the last few months on making my family eat sandwiches and quick fix meals during the week (and I hate to admit it but sometimes even on the weekend since I was rarely there)............but now I AM BACK!! It is a new year and time for new recipes before the summer season hits and the kitchen becomes too hot to stay in.

This one is from the wonderful website of The Pioneer Woman, whom I idolize and think of as a silent mentor (haha). I did change it up and take the tomatoes out since I am not a big fan of the cooked/boiled whole tomato, unless it is pureed into a sauce of some sort, and yet it was still AMAZING!! My entire family ate it, even the picky three year old, so I know it wasn't too spicy but just enough to give it great flavor. I hope you try it out and enjoy as much as we did.

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes


• 3 teaspoons Tony's Seasoning


• 1 pound Fettuccine


• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil


• 2 Tablespoons Butter


• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced


• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced


• ½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced


• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced


• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth


• ½ cups White Wine


• 1 cup Heavy Cream


• Cayenne Pepper To Taste


• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste


• Salt To Taste


• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Penne a la Betsy

Wow, this is an amazing recipe. I found it quite some time ago on The Pioneer Womans website but I just tried it tonight and it will now become a part of the Hawkins Family perminant recipe book!! I did change it up a little to make it mine by adding a pinch of cayanne pepper and I cooked the onions, garlic and herbs in the same butter from the shrimp (because I like the fishy taste...:) ). Of course I am sure I also added more wine then it called for, but really......how much is too much wine? I highly suggest you all try it!!!

¾ pounds Penne Pasta
1 pound Shrimp
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion (small)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cups White Wine (or To Taste)
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
1 cup Heavy Cream
Fresh Parsley, to taste
Fresh Basil - To Taste
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Baked Spaghetti

12 oz cooked spaghetti
1 lb hamburger
1 can (4oz) drained mushroom pieces
1 can (2.5 oz) drained sliced black olives
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes with liquid (cut up)
1 med onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
2 tsp. oregano
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup water
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown hamburger with onions and green peppers. Add olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and oregano. Simmer 10 minutes.

In 13x9x2 greased baking dish, layer ½ spaghetti, ½ meat mixture and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat for second layer.

Mix cream of mushroom soup and ¼ cup water only then spread that mixture over the top and Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes

**Provided by: Paula Mallory**

Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese

½ pound whole-wheat fusilli or other spiral pasta
½ C walnuts
½ C crumbled feta cheese
½ C diced red onion
1 ½ C chopped baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt
Black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and put in the refrigerator to chill.

In a dry sauté pan toast the walnuts over a medium-high flame until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set the walnuts aside to cool them chop them coarsely.

In a large bowl, toss together the chilled pasta, walnuts, feta cheese, onion, and spinach. In a small bowl whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Ranch Pasta Salad

3 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli florets
¾ cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
½ cup chopped seeded tomato
1 bottle (8 oz) ranch salad dressing
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, broccoli, cucumber and tomatoes.
Drizzle with salad dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

(2008 Cookbook)

Shrimp Lasagna Rolls with Creamy Marinara

1 lb lasagna noodles
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (15 oz) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese
½ C freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
3 C marinara sauce
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sauté until the shrimp are cooked, about 4 min., stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a large bowl with 2 cups of the ricotta cheese, the parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the remaining 1 cup of ricotta cheese and stir to combine.

To make lasagna, cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with 1 cup of marinara mixture. Lay four noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about ¼ C of the shrimp mixture over each noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 12 lasagna rolls. Drizzle the rolls with the remaining marinara mixture and top with grated mozzarella. Bake until the lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

**Giada Laurentiis**