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oceanloverOH
03-30-2013, 11:14 AM
I made this recipe up after having "real" Spaghetti Carbonara in an Italian restaurant when we lived in Europe. This is my favorite quick recipe for those on-the-go days when I don't have a lot of time to cook.

Would you share YOUR favorite pasta recipe?

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 small-medium sweet onion, chopped
1 Tbl butter or margarine
1 Tbl minced garlic/1 tsp coarse ground black pepper OR 1 Tbl Lawry’s Garlic Pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk (I use 1% or 2%)
1 4.5 oz jar Green Giant sliced mushrooms (with juice)
6-8 slices of THICK SLICED bacon
½ lb chicken tenders or boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup frozen green peas
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 servings spaghetti noodles

Put butter in small saucepan and add onions. Mix in the garlic and pepper. Sauté onions over medium heat until transparent but not brown. Mix soup, milk and mushrooms in large saucepan; mix in contents of onion pan. Cook bacon till not quite crisp; tear or cut cooked and cooled bacon into fingernail-sized pieces and add to sauce. Grill or fry chicken tenders in olive oil till done; drain and add to sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 15 min, stirring often. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley flakes, some Lawry's Garlic Pepper may be added if needed, to taste. Continue simmering over low heat, stirring often, while cooking pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well. Serve sauce atop pasta.

This recipe serves about 4, and is easily doubled. Refrigerate or freeze leftover sauce and cook fresh pasta next time.

Captain Obvious
03-30-2013, 06:46 PM
Lasagne.

My wife made two trays of lasagne last weekend. She made it different - with cream cheese and I dunno what she spiced the meat with, maybe chilli powder. It wasn't the best, but lasagne is like sex - even when it's bad, it's still pretty good.

I can eat and eat and eat it until my stomach explodes - then eat more just to watch it come out of the hole in my belly.

Captain Obvious
03-30-2013, 06:48 PM
I don't really have an extraordinary pasta recipe, but when we make regular pasta dinners, I get sweet sausage, cut it up and fry it with peppers and onions, then add it to the pasta and canned sauce. It's pretty good.

oceanloverOH
03-30-2013, 06:52 PM
I don't really have an extraordinary pasta recipe, but when we make regular pasta dinners, I get sweet sausage, cut it up and fry it with peppers and onions, then add it to the pasta and canned sauce. It's pretty good.

I wish you knew what your wife's recipe is, cream cheese sounds intriguing. I have a recipe for Mexican Lasagna that's pretty good....let me know if you want it and I'll PM.....

Captain Obvious
03-30-2013, 06:55 PM
I wish you knew what your wife's recipe is, cream cheese sounds intriguing. I have a recipe for Mexican Lasagna that's pretty good....let me know if you want it and I'll PM.....

Just post it here.

Share the wealth.

:wink:

Santa's Little Helper
03-30-2013, 06:58 PM
Beef stroganoff I just use the Hamburger Helper but I used sandwich steaks chopped into thin strips fry em up with mushrooms and I add half a cup of sour cream yummy

Mister D
03-30-2013, 07:02 PM
I usually go with a Pasta Primavera these days. Spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine with your favorite vegetables (I like broccoli, sliced carrot, kale, and as much garlic as I can stand). It's just so simple I don't really have a recipe. I toss in whatever vegetables I happen to have with whatever long shaped pasta I'm in the mood for. The only constant is garlic (lots of it) and extra virgin olive oil. I'll add chicken but I try to keep it vegetarian. @Chloe (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=565)

oceanloverOH
03-30-2013, 11:49 PM
Captain wants Mexican Lasagna recipe, Captain gets Mexican Lasagna recipe, cuz I luvs him!

Mexican Lasagna

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
About 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1½ lbs ground beef
¾ cup chopped onion
1½ - 2 cans (10 oz each) Rotel tomatoes and chiles
1 envelope McCormick Sloppy Joe mix
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 bag (2 cups) Kraft shredded Mexican Four Cheese mix
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ pint (8 oz) sour cream
6 large/wide lasagna noodles (or 8 if they’re thinner/shorter)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can (2 or 4 oz) sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13x9x2 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Prepare lasagna according to package directions, adding olive oil to boiling water to prevent sticking. Drain noodles into colander and rinse in cold water; drain flat on paper towels.

2. In a large skillet, brown meat and onions, drain and return to skillet. Add tomatoes, sloppy joe mix, salt, pepper and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes, remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes.

3. Add sour cream to meat mixture and mix well.

4. In 13X9X2 pan, layer in order: meat mixture, 3 (or 4) noodles, Mexican cheese mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the cheese mixture on top only. Garnish top with sliced black olives.

5. Bake 35 minutes in preheated oven, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: The Rotel tomatoes make this dish very spicy. If you prefer a milder version, use 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes and ½ - 1 can (4-oz) chopped mild green chiles.

Dr. Who
03-30-2013, 11:54 PM
Beef stroganoff I just use the Hamburger Helper but I used sandwich steaks chopped into thin strips fry em up with mushrooms and I add half a cup of sour cream yummy
Add a little white vermouth. I use thinly sliced beef, sour cream, vermouth and wide egg noodles, oh not to mention onions and salt and pepper.

Mister D
03-30-2013, 11:55 PM
You post a recipe for Mexican lasagne yet it doesn't call for a single Mexican. :rollseyes:

oceanloverOH
03-31-2013, 12:01 AM
You post a recipe for Mexican lasagne yet it doesn't call for a single Mexican. :rollseyes:

I learned to make it while married to one, does that count? I would have been happy to kill my ex and grind him up into burger meat and put him in the freezer and use him for this dish...but he'd be a little gamy by now, since I divorced him in 1983 :smiley_ROFLMAO:

Common
03-31-2013, 05:52 AM
I usually go with a Pasta Primavera these days. Spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine with your favorite vegetables (I like broccoli, sliced carrot, kale, and as much garlic as I can stand). It's just so simple I don't really have a recipe. I toss in whatever vegetables I happen to have with whatever long shaped pasta I'm in the mood for. The only constant is garlic (lots of it) and extra virgin olive oil. I'll add chicken but I try to keep it vegetarian. @Chloe (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=565)

Same here, like youve said we have similar tastes. Ive never been a fan of creamed pasta sauces and my wife likes them less. Alfredo made right has enough fat and calories to kill a kickin mule.
For those that are health conscious and dont make your own sauce, heres a couple that have the least calories fat and salt in them, if your interested.

Classico Roasted Garlic
Dellalo Garlic and Onion
Aldis deluxe brand of Garlic and Carmelized onion.

For example most jarred past sauces have 90 calories and alot more fat and salt. Delallo has 40 calories and less salt and fat and NO SUGAR. Sugar in pasta sauce does nothing but give you indigestion and hide that the sauce sucks imo.

Captain Obvious
03-31-2013, 08:03 AM
Captain wants Mexican Lasagna recipe, Captain gets Mexican Lasagna recipe, cuz I luvs him!

Mexican Lasagna

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
About 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1½ lbs ground beef
¾ cup chopped onion
1½ - 2 cans (10 oz each) Rotel tomatoes and chiles
1 envelope McCormick Sloppy Joe mix
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 bag (2 cups) Kraft shredded Mexican Four Cheese mix
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ pint (8 oz) sour cream
6 large/wide lasagna noodles (or 8 if they’re thinner/shorter)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can (2 or 4 oz) sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13x9x2 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

1. Prepare lasagna according to package directions, adding olive oil to boiling water to prevent sticking. Drain noodles into colander and rinse in cold water; drain flat on paper towels.

2. In a large skillet, brown meat and onions, drain and return to skillet. Add tomatoes, sloppy joe mix, salt, pepper and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes, remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes.

3. Add sour cream to meat mixture and mix well.

4. In 13X9X2 pan, layer in order: meat mixture, 3 (or 4) noodles, Mexican cheese mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the cheese mixture on top only. Garnish top with sliced black olives.

5. Bake 35 minutes in preheated oven, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: The Rotel tomatoes make this dish very spicy. If you prefer a milder version, use 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes and ½ - 1 can (4-oz) chopped mild green chiles.

That sounds pretty good, but I'm going to find a way to work some salsa into that recipe.

Captain Obvious
03-31-2013, 08:04 AM
I learned to make it while married to one, does that count? I would have been happy to kill my ex and grind him up into burger meat and put him in the freezer and use him for this dish...but he'd be a little gamy by now, since I divorced him in 1983 :smiley_ROFLMAO:

Remind me to politely decline next time you invite me over for brunch.

:grin:

oceanloverOH
03-31-2013, 09:39 AM
Same here, like youve said we have similar tastes. Ive never been a fan of creamed pasta sauces and my wife likes them less. Alfredo made right has enough fat and calories to kill a kickin mule.
For those that are health conscious and dont make your own sauce, heres a couple that have the least calories fat and salt in them, if your interested.

Classico Roasted Garlic
Dellalo Garlic and Onion
Aldis deluxe brand of Garlic and Carmelized onion.

For example most jarred past sauces have 90 calories and alot more fat and salt. Delallo has 40 calories and less salt and fat and NO SUGAR. Sugar in pasta sauce does nothing but give you indigestion and hide that the sauce sucks imo.
Common, I love Delallo sauces! Delallo Carbonara sauce, which I have used and really like the taste, does have a little sugar....but only 5 grams, still way less than most jarred sauces. This one is good with finely chopped green onions and fresh chopped tomatoes sprinkled on top.

Common
03-31-2013, 09:47 AM
@Common (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=659), I love Delallo sauces! Delallo Carbonara sauce, which I have used and really like the taste, does have a little sugar....but only 5 grams, still way less than most jarred sauces. This one is good with finely chopped green onions and fresh chopped tomatoes sprinkled on top.

Never had their carbonaro, I tend to steer towards all things garlic. I made my own sauce for many years all the years the kids were growing. I used to make a huge pot and freeze it and have enough for awhile.
I never used sugar nor paste, both can give you incredible indigestion. I use dry red wine and reduce it and onions sweeten the pot. I sautee the onions with the garlic in olive oil, then add some wine to the bottom of the pot and reduce it. Then add half my crushed tomatoes and herbs, the rest of the tomatoes then some water and simmer for 3 to 4 hrs.
Of course if if im having meatballs sausage or bones with it, I brown them and add them to simmer.