PASTA PRIMAVERA

Dressing:


1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. fresh chives
1 Tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried
basil
2 tsp. fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried
dill
8 oz. spiral pasta

Vegetables:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. broccoli, cut into
flowerets
1/2 red pepper, cut into
1/4-inch strips
1/4 lb. whole fresh snow peas
1/2 pt. cherry tomatoes

Make dressing in jar with tight-fitting lid. Combine
oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic, chives,
basil and dill; shake well. Cook pasta; drain. Add dress- 
ing; toss together. In heated oil, stir-fry about 5 minutes or
until just crisp, broccoli and red pepper strips. Add pea
pods; cook 1 minute. Cook, covered, for 1 or 2 minutes more.
Don't overcook. Cool completely. Toss pasta, vegetables and
tomatoes until well coated. Refrigerate several hours before
serving. Makes 1/2 pound of pasta.

ITALIAN STYLE PASTA SALAD

4 oz. spaghetti
1 (6 oz.) jar marinated
artichoke hearts
1/2 small zucchini, sliced
1 carrot, shredded
2 oz. sliced salami, cut in
strips
1 c. grated Mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. salad oil
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 clove garlic, crushed

Break pasta in half; cook pasta according to directions,
drain and set aside. Drain artichokes, reserving marinade.
Coarsely chop artichoke hearts. Halve the zucchini slices. In
a large bowl combine the cooked pasta, artichokes, zucchini,
carrot, salami and both cheeses. In a screw-top jar, combine
the reserved artichoke marinade, salad oil, vinegar, mustard,
oregano, basil and garlic. Shake well. Pour dressing over
pasta mix. Toss to coat evenly. Transfer to a covered con- 
tainer. Chill several hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

PASTA WITH PEPPERS

A bright red pepper sauce coats the bow tie pasta.
Makes 6 servings at 70 cents each.
Nutrient Value Per Serving: 423 calories, 12 g. pro- 
tein, 11 g. fat, 69 g. carbohydrate, 352 mg. sodium, 0 mg.
cholesterol.

1/4 c. good-quality olive oil
2 medium-sized onions, halved
and thinly sliced
3 lb. sweet red peppers,
halved, seeded and cut into
1/2-inch thick strips
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint or
1 tsp. dried mint
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 to 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 lb. bow-tie pasta, penne or
ziti
2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf
Italian parsley
Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat.
Add onion and peppers; cook, stirring often, until edges of
onion begin to brown, 15 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add
mint, salt and pepper. Cook until peppers are tender, 15
minutes. Add 1 cup broth; cover and cook 5 minutes longer.
Remove 12 slices cooked peppers and set aside. Place the
remaining pepper mixture in the container of food processor or,
working in batches, in a blender. Cover; whirl until the
consistency of thick tomato sauce. If sauce is too thick, add
some of the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth.
While sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a large pot of
boiling salted water until al dente, firm but tender. Drain
pasta. Toss with the sauce in the skillet or Dutch oven.
Serve garnished with slices of the reserved red pepper and the
parsley.

FETTUCCINE PRIMAVERA CASSEROLE

4 oz. uncooked fettuccine
noodles (regular or
spinach)
1 c. pasta sauce (recipe
follows) or use Pasta Prima
"Alfredo" sauce and prepare
according to directions
1/4 medium onion, sliced
thinly into rings
1/3 to 1/2 c. water chestnuts,
sliced thinly
3/4 c. broccoli flowerets,
broken up into small pieces
2/3 c. carrots, sliced into
rounds or julienned
1/2 c. walnuts, coarsely
chopped (or 1/2 c. roasted,
unsalted cashew pieces)
4 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
(approximately 1 c.)
4 oz. Jack cheese, grated
(approximately 1 c.)

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain
but don't rinse. Meanwhile, prepare pasta sauce and set aside.
Saute onion rings in small amount of cooking oil and set aside.
Steam vegetables (sliced zucchini may be substituted for
broccoli) or cook in small amount of lightly salted water until
they are barely tender. Drain and set aside.
To assemble: In a 1 1/2 or 2 quart casserole dish, toss
the cooked fettuccine with the pasta sauce; spread mixture
evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange onion slices, walnut (or
cashew) pieces, sliced water chestnuts and vegetables in layers
on top of pasta mixture. Sprinkle Jack cheese, then Cheddar
cheese over all. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes
or until cheeses are bubbly. Serves 4.

Pasta Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. McKay's instant chicken
seasoning
1 c. milk
2 to 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
cheese
In a medium saucepan, melt butter or margarine over low
heat. Blend in flour and seasoning. Add milk, stirring
constantly and cook over medium heat until sauce is moderately
thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan
cheese. Makes approximately 1 cup sauce.

PASTA VERDE

6 slices bacon
10 oz. spaghetti or other
pasta
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped
spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. cream-style cottage
cheese
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

In an 8-inch skillet cook bacon until crisp. Drain,
reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Crumble bacon and set
aside. Cook pasta in large amount of boiling salted water for
10 to 12 minutes until tender, but firm. Meanwhile, in a
medium saucepan, cook spinach according to package directions.
Place undrained spinach, reserved bacon drippings, garlic and
pepper in blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and
blend until smooth. Add the cottage cheese. Cover and blend
until smooth. Drain pasta and turn out onto a large platter.
Pour spinach mixture over pasta; toss. Sprinkle individual
servings with bacon and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Makes 10 to 12 servings as a side dish.

RAVIOLI
(Yield: 45) 
1 1/2 c. Ricotta
3/4 c. freshly grated imported
Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 eggs yolks
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pasta dough

In a large mixing bowl combine the Ricotta, grated
cheese, egg yolks and salt; carefully stir them together until
they are well mixed. Set aside until you have rolled out the
dough.

Pasta:
1 1/2 c. unsifted all-purpose
flour
1 egg
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
few drops water
Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl or in a heap in
a pastry board. Make a well in the center of the flour and in
it put the egg, egg white, oil and salt. Mix together with a
fork or your fingers until the dough can be gathered into a
rough ball. Moisten any remaining dry bits of flour with drops
of water and press into the ball.
Knead the dough on a floured board, working in a little
extra flour if the dough seems sticky. After about 10 minutes
dough should be smooth, shiny and elastic. Wrap in wax paper;
let it rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling out. Divide
the dough into four pieces; roll out the first one quarter of
the dough to make it as thin as possible. Cover the rolled
pasta with a damp cloth to prevent its drying out and roll out
the second quarter of dough to a similar size and shape. Using
the first sheet of rolled out pasta as a sort of checkerboard,
place a mound of about 1 teaspoon of the cheese filling mixture
every 2-inches across and down the pasta. Dip a pastry brush
or your index finger into a bowl of water and make vertical and
horizontal lines in a checkerboard pattern on the sheet of
pasta, between the mounds of cheese filling. Be sure to use
enough water to wet the lines evenly (the water will act as a
bond to hold the finished ravioli together). Carefully spread
the second sheet of rolled out pasta on top of the first one,
pressing down firmly along the wetted lines.
With a ravioli cutter, a pastry wheel or a small sharp
knife, cut the pasta into squares along the wetted lines.
Separate the mounds of ravioli and set them aside on waxed
paper. In the same fashion, roll out, fill and cut the two
other pieces of dough. To cook, drop the ravioli into 6 to 8
quarts of water (rapidly boiling and to which salt has been
added) and stir them gently with a wooden spoon to keep them
from sticking to one another. Boil for 8 minutes; drain.
Serve the ravioli with tomato sauce or add butter and freshly
grated cheese.

LASAGNA

1 lb. wide lasagna pasta
32 oz. marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese
1 lb. sweet sausage
3/4 lb. Ricotta cheese
3 tsp. salt

Brown sausage, slice and set aside. Bring 5 quarts of
water to a boil. Add salt and pasta. Cook 10 to 15 minutes.
Pasta should be firm, but not chewy. Stir often to prevent
sticking. Drain and rinse in cold water. Coat the bottom of
two 9-inch square and 2-inch deep casseroles with sauce. Place
a layer of pasta over sauce. Allow pasta to overflow the dish
so it can be folded up on top of completed lasagna. Fill
casseroles in layers, consisting of pasta, Ricotta and sausage.
Sprinkle each layer with sauce and Parmesan cheese. Make
approximately 3 layers per casserole. Fold ends of the bottom
pasta layer over top of casserole. Sprinkle top with sauce and
Parmesan cheese. Heat oven to 350 degrees and cook for about 15 to 20
minutes until hot. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Lasagna can be covered with foil and frozen. It can be heated
without defrosting at 300 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Note: Disposable aluminum pans are best for freezing.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND CHEESE SAUCE

1/2 lb. small twisted pasta
(such as rigatoni, penne or
shells)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. skimmed fresh sausage
(such as Luganega or
Italian), crumbled
1 lb. Ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 crushed red pepper
Parmesan cheese

Bring half pot of water to boil. Stir in pasta and cook
according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile,
heat oil in large skillet; saute sausage, constantly mashing it
with a fork to crush it well, over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Mix in Ricotta cheese and butter; stir until butter melts. Add
salt and peppers, mixing well. If the pasta isn't ready yet,
turn off heat, cover the skillet and let it rest on the burner.
Drain pasta; then stir it into the sauce. Serve with Parmesan
cheese on the side. Makes 4 servings.

CHICKEN AND PASTA SALAD

2 c. pasta shells, cooked
1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas,
drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 pkg. frozen chopped
broccoli, defrosted
cubed, cooked chicken
3/4 c. no-oil Italian dressing
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
6 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Mix pasta (cooked), chicken and vegetables in a large
bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a smaller bowl. Pour over
pasta mixture. Toss. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Serves 6 to 8.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 197,
protein 11.7 grams, sodium 414 mg., carbohydrates 33.3 grams,
fat 3.0 grams, cholesterol 3 mg.