Pasta/2 recipes

Hearty Italian sausage soup with hot sausage, tomato puree, red wine, bell peppers, and fresh herbs simmered in beef stock. Served over rotelli pasta with Parmesan.

If you're having friends over for dinner, try this succulent chicken dish that will have them complementing the chef!

Authentic pad thai with rice noodles, dried shrimp, fried tofu, tamarind sauce and crushed peanuts. Real Thai street food, not the gloppy Westernized version.

Crispy deep-fried Chinese vermicelli topped with stir-fried chilli vegetables in a soy, vinegar, and brown sugar sauce. A crunchy, sweet-sour vegetarian noodle dish.

A fettuccine crust holds layers of cottage cheese, broccoli, and seasoned ground turkey in tomato sauce, all baked under a Parmesan top. Part pasta, part pie, fully irresistible.

Old-fashioned chicken spaghetti casserole made from scratch with a whole stewing hen, creamy mushroom roux, hard-boiled eggs, and melted cheddar. Makes two casseroles so you can freeze one for later.

A noodle crust filled with seasoned ground beef, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and pepperoni. Vermicelli pie is like lasagna and pizza had a baby, and the whole family will fight over seconds.

Minnesota minestrone is a Midwestern take on the Italian classic, built with ground beef, kidney beans, cabbage, and corn. One Dutch oven, feeds ten, pantry friendly.

Great northern bean minestrone with carrots, zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni in a basil-oregano broth. Hearty, thick, and full of vegetables.

This is an old Ruthenian peasant dish, very popular in the Carpathian Alps, as well as here in Fair Oaks, CA. Great for warming the tummy on a cold winter day. This is easy to prepare, and good as a luncheon dish served with salad, or as a first course soup prior to a lighter entree.

Cincinnati-style chili with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin served over vermicelli pasta with cheddar and raw onion. A slow-simmered, warmly spiced take on a Midwest classic.

Island-style stroganoff with tender beef strips in a brandy-flambéed cream sauce studded with colorful bell peppers and tangy dill pickles over fettuccine for a tropical twist on the Russian classic.

Instead of deep-frying, these baked spring rolls have much less fat but still come out golden, brown and crispy. You will be amazed how delicious they are!

Pounded chicken breasts dredged in Parmesan flour, pan-seared golden, and baked under a from-scratch sun-dried tomato sauce with bubbly mozzarella. Served over linguine, this lighter chicken parm doesn't skimp on flavor.

My take on this classic Italian belly warming soup.

Beefy Italian minestrone soup builds a full-bodied broth from chuck roast simmered with vegetables, then loads it with kidney beans, macaroni, bacon, zucchini, and a quirky splash of cola for caramel depth. Sunday simmer at its best.