I participated in a recipe swap on What’s Cooking. This was simple here is a blog make a recipe from it. I was excited to see my pick. I love this blog but don’t make nearly enough from it. I wanted something simple and this was. I omitted the nuts as we aren’t huge nut fans and it would be easier to serve our toddler this.

The sauce, mushroom and pancetta pair perfectly with the tortellini. And it couldn’t be a faster meal.

Tortellini & Pancetta in Mushroom Walnut Sauce (From: I Was Born To Cook, Originally Adapted From:Sunshine and Bones)

• 12 ounces tortellini
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pancetta, cut into small chunks
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated pecorino romano cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions, minus one minute.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add pancetta, mushrooms and walnuts.  Saute until mushrooms are brown.

Add cream and stir frequently, until sauce begins to thicken.  Turn heat down to low and add pepper and cheese.  Stir until sauce is smooth.

Drain pasta and put in pan with sauce.  Turn heat off and stir together gently.  Serve immediately.

While planning our menu last weekend I wanted to add a soup. I asked Adam if there was anything at all he wanted he said no. So I went to my new recipe site… Pinterest I typed soup and went for it. The first about 10 recipes that popped up was lasagna soup. It sounded delicious. So I added it to our menu.

And it was, we enjoyed this SOOOO much. I halved the original recipe and it made about 4 portions which were perfect for us. The cheesey goodness in the bowl was wonderful. It was a nice little surprise for Adam who had no idea it was there. I will be making this again and again we really enjoyed it.

Lasagna Soup (Adapted From: A Farm Girl Dabbles, Originally From: 300 Sensational Soups)

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 T. tomato paste
• 1 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaves
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 cup mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 2 T. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Cheese:

•   6 oz. blended cottage cheese (use immersion blender to blend until smooth)
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

The moment I saw this on Pinterest I had to add it to our menu. I am a SUCKER for white cheddar… I LOVE the flavor. So I set out to make it when my Mother-in-law was coming down as there would be one more to eat it. I was going to the store that day so added the chicken breasts needed to my menu. I got home to discover I had bought chicken wings, UGH! So I laid our daughter down for a nap, when she woke up we ran to the store in town, she was in just a wonderful mood. I got a package of chicken breasts, none frozen to save time even. We then stopped at my Moms for a quick visit, I didn’t want the chicken to go bad so I brought it into my Moms… Yep I forgot it. Needless to say we ordered pizza that night. Even though my Mom is 4 houses away I decided if I had made that dish that night it would just be an utter disaster.

This dish was great, I followed the original recipe in terms of onion and didn’t love the flavor, I have changed it in the recipe below to how I would cook it from now on. This picture is not the best, and I’m sorry. I either got too dark or too light, but at least there is a picture.

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta (From: Homemade By Holman)

For the chicken:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 T fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken pieces. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

For the pasta:

• 1 pound rotini or other short cut pasta
• 2 T butter
• 2 T flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat water to boil in a large stock pot for pasta, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente and drain according to directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and took until translucent, then add flour whisking to combine. Add wine, garlic, and mustard. Cook down for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce. Top with Parmesan upon serving.

I am a sucker for ranch, I love the flavor. Add bacon and I have to try it. We have been trying to use more and more spinach in our meals as it is tasteless and is so good for you.

I thought this was good, my Husband couldn’t stop raving about it and my Daughter had 3 “toddler” sized helpings. That is a win win in my book. It had just a touch too much spinach I would use half the amount. The original recipe called for tomato being that we don’t like them I omitted.

**Not that my pictures are that great, but sorry for the crappy photo, I am camera-less so this is a i-phone photo.

Ranch Pasta with Bacon and Spinach (Adapted From: A Taste of Home Cooking)

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• Olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 lb short cut pasta, cooked according to package directions
• Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients (through dried thyme) in a bowl and mix together. This is your Ranch seasoning. You can also use a packet of pre-made dried seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet large enough to hold the pasta over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add Ranch seasoning, and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts. Add pasta and cooked bacon and toss to combine. Add grated cheese and taste for seasoning.

I love buffalo flavor but don’t love the spice of it. So when I saw this I knew I wanted to make it and depending bring down the spice level. While I was making it I realized that it didn’t call for that much buffalo flavor so I opted to make it as the recipe called it and would change it up next time if it was too hot. I am glad I didn’t because it was perfect.

The flavors go so well, it’s like buffalo chicken dip, and pasta mixed together with cheesy goodness.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta (Adapted From: A Taste of Home, Originally From: How Sweet It Is)

• 1 pound short-cut pasta
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 ounces grated Monterey jack cheese + more for topping
• 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese + more for topping
• 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce + more for topping
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Bleu cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Spray a baking dish (9 x 13 is fine, I used a round 4-inch deep dish) with non-stick spray. Add pasta and chicken, then pour cheese sauce over and mix thoroughly until everything is coated. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with bleu cheese. Drizzle with buffalo wing sauce.

To me there is nothing better then a giant piece of lasagna. But it has to be my Grandmas lasagna. I rarely order lasagna while out because it does nothing next to my Grandmas. Whenever someone makes lasagna I compare it to my Grandmas. To me lasagna is pretty basic, sauce noodles and cheese. But using my Grandpas Spaghetti sauce really takes this one to the next level.

Next time you make lasagna try this recipe and let me know how it compares to “your” recipe. What do you do different with yours?

Lasagna (From: My Grandma)

• 1 box lasagna noodles
• Spaghetti sauce
• 2 c. cottage cheese (whole fat is less watery when cooked)
• 6 cups cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Bring pot of water to boil and cook noodles until al dente.

Place very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. I normally use cold sauce, either way is fine.

Place later of noodles across top of sauce, then cheese.

Layer on sauce followed by more noodles then place cottage cheese.

Repeat layers until getting height you want. Ending with cheese on top.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hr.

Uncover and bake for 30 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes to set before cutting.

I participated in another recipe exchange on a forum I am on. This times theme was pasta. When I got this recipe I was excited with croutons in it. It seemed like it would give it a fun take on it. I made this for lunches for the week.

We both enjoyed it, even my pea hating husband liked it The dressing is a little different then my normal pasta salad, but really delicious.

Chicken, Pea and Pasta Salad (Adapted From: Happy Insides)

• 8 oz. dried pasta
• 5 oz. frozen peas
• 2 slices bread
• 5 T. olive oil, divided
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 t. oregano
• 1/2 t. basil
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, baked and cubed.
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook till al dente.  When the pasta is just done, throw the peas into the pot with the pasta.  Let sit for about 30 seconds and then drain.  Place in a large serving bowl.

Take slices of bread and cut into small cubes.  Toss with 1 T. olive oil and salt and pepper.  Line bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes until golden and crunchy.

Meanwhile make the dressing by combining 4 T. of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Let this sit together for at least 10 minutes so the flavors can combine.

In the bowl with the pasta and peas add the chicken, dressing and Parmesan cheese.  Refrigerate until cool.  This can be made ahead of time up to this point.  The salad is actually better when it has sat together for a few hours.  Just before serving toss the croutons in with the rest of the salad.  Enjoy.

I normally don’t post this recipes that I throw together on a whim but I had a request to share this one so I am.

We have had a recipe on our menu for two weeks now that called for mushrooms, both times we never got to the recipe for one reason or another. This week I couldn’t stand to throw the mushrooms away so decided to incorporate them with some pasta and sauce.

Pesto Tortellini (From: Carrie’s Sweet Life Original)

• 1 jar pesto (we prefer Classico)
• 1 bag tortellini
• 1 package mushrooms
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk or cream
• tab of butter

Set pot of water on stove to bring to boil for pasta.

Wash and dry mushrooms, then slice into desired size. Place in pan with butter and fry until cooked through.

Add pesto, cream cheese, and milk to mushrooms. Bring to boil reduce heat and keep warm until pasta is done.

Cook, and drain pasta add to sauce.

Serve hot with a little parmesan.

Adam and I love pasta well and bread. Yea we are carbaholics. We recently have found a love for pesto. So I decided to give this recipe a go. I had some mushrooms that needed to be used up. So I added those in with the chicken mixture.

We really enjoyed these. Since there is no sauce the shells get a little crispy or chewy which isn’t my favorite. So I think next time I would add a basic tomato sauce on the bottom. We are going to make these again this summer with homemade pesto which is my goal for the year!

Pesto Chicken Mushroom Stuffed Shells (From: What’s Cookin, Chicago?)

• 12-16 jumbo pasta shells
• water for boiling pasta
• 4oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
• 3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 6-8 mushrooms, cleaned and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

At my previous job we had weekly lunches on Fridays. Every week was a different persons turn to bring lunch. It was fun as there was a supplied lunch every Fri and it was your turn every 5-6 weeks. One week my boss brought this in via crockpot. It was sooo good. And such a simple meal. You could easily make your own alfredo but sometimes it’s just easier to buy the store bought stuff.

If you wanted to serve this to others I would pre-cook and then rewarm in the crockpot.

Alfredo Sausage Bake (From: Myself )

• 2 jars alfredo sauce, I prefer classico but any will do
• 1 bag tortellini
• 1 package of italian sausage
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1/2 cup parmesan

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with Pam.

Fry sausage until it’s cooked through.

Cook tortellini as directed on package.

Pour alfredo sauce into cake pan. Add 1/4 cup water to each jar and shake to get all alfredo sauce. Pour into cake pan. Pour tortellini, and parmesan on top.

Cut sausage into 1/2 inch thick pieces and top tortellini.

Mix well. Top with mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.