“This is much tastier than it sounds! My husband and I do not like cottage cheese but we love this sauce. Try adding a clove of garlic – instead of garlic salt – to the sauce mixture before pureeing if you like a more garlicky flavor.”

Ingredients
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 – 1/3 cup skim evaporated milk OR fresh milk
2 dashes nutmeg
1 cup frozen peas, thawed or slightly cooked – optional
4 cups cooked pasta

1. Puree all ingredients except pasta and peas in food processor or blender.

2. Pour into microwave-safe container and cook on medium-high for 2 minutes, or on stovetop on low until warm.

3. Toss pasta with peas. Pour sauce over pasta, garnish with more Parmesan cheese.

(Submitted by Tiffany)

If you like thick, sticky-cheesy macaroni and cheese, this is the perfect recipe!

Ingredients
2 c. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 T. butter
1-1/2 T. flour
1-1/2 c. milk
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. Velveeta cheese

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour, stirring constantly over low heat for one minute.

2. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. (Stirring is important so you don’t burn the milk!) Stir in salt and pepper.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar and Velveeta cheese until melted. Add pasta and mix until well coated.

(Submitted by Tiffany)

I wasn’t sure I would like this recipe because I’m don’t typically eat pasta without sauce. I tried it, though, and loved it! This one is going in my favorites, for sure   It’s even great cold!

Shown with penne.

Ingredients
12 ounces dry rotini pasta
Salt
4 slice(s) bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 to 2 lemons
1 pound(s) large shelled and deveined shrimp
1/2 cup(s) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, plus additional leaves for garnish

1. Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling on high. Add pasta and cook as label directs. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water; drain pasta and return to saucepot.

2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon on medium 9 to 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from skillet.

3. While bacon cooks, from lemon(s), grate 1/2 teaspoon peel and squeeze 1/4 cup juice; set aside.

4.To fat in skillet, add shrimp; cook on medium 4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in reserved pasta water and heat to boiling on medium.

5. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp are opaque throughout. Remove from heat; stir in basil, lemon peel and juice, and reserved bacon. Add shrimp mixture to pasta and toss to coat. Transfer to bowls and garnish with basil.

(Submitted by Tiffany)

“This baked ziti is delicious!  I’ve had a hard time finding baked pasta recipes that I like, but this one is definitely different.  This recipe made so much that we sent some home with my mother-in-law.  My father-in-law raved about it and asked for more!  This recipe is going to be perfect for making for on of our family’s Sunday suppers.

We used one can of Hunt’s Zesty and Spicy sauce and a jar of Three Cheese. We also chopped up some prepared frozen italian meatballs and mixed it in with the sauce.”

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta, cooked and drained
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Combine cooked noodles and sour cream, mix until well coated.

5. Spoon a portion of sauce onto bottom of baking dish, cover with about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Cover with sauce. Add another layer of each and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.

(Submitted by TIffany)

“I made this for a family cook-out and everybody loved it!  I didn’t have a couple things the recipe called for, so there was no bell peppers or celery seed in mine, and I cut down the celery to half a stalk.  Very, very good though!  FYI – this recipe claims to make six servings but it seemed to have made a lot more than that!”

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (or to taste)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
2 cups creamy salad dressing (e.g. Miracle Whip)
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon celery seed

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain, and set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, onion, celery, red pepper, and relish. In a small bowl, stir together the salad dressing, mustard, white sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed. Pour over the vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended.

3. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

(Submitted by Webmaster)

“So tasty and easy to freeze!”

INGREDIENTS
3 cups (24 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese, drained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 lasagna noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce, optional

1. In a bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Spread 1/2 cup over each noodle; roll up jelly-roll style. Place seam side down in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. 

2. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover; drizzle with spaghetti sauce if desired. Bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through. 

(Submitted by Webmaster)

“I didn’t have any of the cheeses listed, so I used colby jack, mozzarella and swiss.  I also threw some green onions and canadian bacon on top before sprinkling on the extra cheese.  Yum!  One of the few mac & cheese recipes I’ll eat without ketchup.”

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. each low-fat cheddar, jack and sharp cheddar cheeses
16 oz. package of your favorite pasta

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Boil pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

3. In a seperate saucepan, melt butter.  Add flour and stir together.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to form a roux.  Adding milk to quickly will cause roux to be lumpy.

4. Reserve about 2 oz. cheese.  Add the rest to the sauce, along with mustard, sour cream and salt and pepper.  Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

5. Combine sauce with cooked noodles and pour into casserole or baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

(Submitted by Webmaster)

“I mixed two recipes for this one, one was on the box & the other was one I had written down from somewhere. I didn’t have enough pasta sauce so I added part of a can of tomatoes.  I also added fresh italian parsley.  Oh & I only put spinach in half of the shells”

Ingredients
6 ounces jumbo pasta shells, cooked 15 minutes & drained 1 lb ground beef, browned & drained
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzerella cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
Italian parsley
1/4-1/3 cup diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes, chopped)
26 ounces pasta sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Handful of torn/chopped spinach (stems removed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degress (F).  Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup mozza. cheese, Parm cheese, italian parsley, pepper, and basil until well blended.  Spoon heaping tablespoon of mixture evenly into each shell.

2. Combine sauce, meat and tomatoes; spoon half of mixture into baking dish (I used an 8×8 & put some shells on top of others).  Place shells filled side up in dish.  Spoon remaining sauce over shells.  Sprinkle with more Parm cheese, if desired.

3. Bake for 30 minutes*, or until heated through.  Sprinkle with remaining mozza. cheese, let melt.

*If covering filled dish with foil, be sure to grease it so cheese doesn’t stick

(Submitted by Webmaster)

Ingredients
16 ounces ziti pasta
24 ounces ricotta cheese
1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
32 ounces spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boil.  Add ziti and cook 8-10 minutes, drain, rinse.

2. In a medium bowl, mix ziti, ricotta cheese, mozza. cheese, egg and 1 1/2 cup sauce.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F)

4. Lightly grease 9×13″ baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture.  Top with remaining sauce, followed by Parm. cheese

5. Bake 30 minutes, let stand 15 minutes before serving.

(Submitted by Webmaster)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
2 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
3/4 lb (12 ounces) velveeta, cut up

1. Brown meat until no longer pink, drain.

2. Stir in water, ketchup and onion powder.  Bring to boil.  Stir in macaroni.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover.  Simmer 8 – 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

3. Add velveeta, stir until melted.

(Submitted by Webmaster)