Quick & Cheesy Sausage Rotini

Ingredients:

3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 10 min. or until done, stirring occasionally; drain. Return sausage to skillet. Add tomatoes, onions and dressing; stir. Cook 5 min. or until onions are heated through, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Add sausage mixture and 1/2 cup cheese; mix lightly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Italian Wonderpot

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

12 oz fettuccine

8 oz frozen chopped spinach

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

freshly cracked pepper to taste

2 oz. feta cheese

Directions:

1. Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion (thinly sliced), garlic (thinly sliced), basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full, rolling boil over high heat then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
3. Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. The pot must be boiling the entire time.
4. After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

3 while boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 teaspoons Cajun spice (I used Creole seasoning), more to taste
1 pound fettuccine noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 of a large red onion, sliced
3 gloves garlic, minced
4 whole Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper to taste
Black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is done. Do not over cook the pasta.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Best 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 and additional minute. Remove with 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 spices, then add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for several minutes, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black and tender as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional minute stirring gently. 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 pepper, cayenne paper, 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 1-2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:

1/2 of 1lb package linguine
1 cup fresh broccoli
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare linguine according to package directions in saucepan. Add broccoli during last 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain linguine mixture.
2. Heat butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned and cook through, stirring often.
3. Stir soup, milk, cheese, black pepper, linguine mixture, and chicken in pot and heat until mixture is hot, stirring occasionally. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

** I boiled my chicken until almost cooked while I was boiling the noodles, then took out and cut into chunks, and then cooked in butter until browned. **