Tuscan Garlic Chicken Pasta

6 cloves garlic, minced      ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

6 T. olive oil      5 boneless chicken breasts

1 pkg. grape tomatoes      1 lb. penne pasta

1 pkg. baby spinach      ½ cup chopped fresh basil

6 T. lemon juice      1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, combine garlic,

pepper flakes, and oil in bowl and microwave until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 1

minute.

Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1T. or so of seasoned oil to a

large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook

until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting

board and tent with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice thin and set aside. Add grape

tomatoes to skillet to sear.

Add 1 T. salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of

cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in sliced chicken, tomatoes, spinach,

basil, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining garlic oil mixture, adding reserved pasta

water as needed. Season with salt and pepper, serve.

Comment: Start the pasta boiling just before the chicken finishes cooking. This helps

with timing. I like to put the pasta back in the chicken skillet to finish in order to pick

up all the little bits left in the frying pan.

Also, you can put the Parmesan on the side and allow people to add their individual

desired amount.

Tetrazzini Noodles

1 stick butter

½ lb. cooked spaghetti

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

Parmesan cheese to garnish

Directions:  Melt the butter, add soups and mix with spaghetti.  Pour into a greased 

casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and back at 375 degrees for 45 

minutes.

Comment:  Can be made with chicken and mushrooms. Tastes better as a leftover!

Veal / Chicken Marsala

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ lb. veal or chicken

1 onion, chopped

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 cup Marsala wine

3 T. butter

3 T oil

1 egg, beaten with milk Flour for dredging

Pasta of choice

Directions:  Dip meat in egg, then flour.  Melt butter with oil in pan.  Sauté meat; 

remove and keep warm.  Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to the pan.  Cook until 

soft.  Remove from pan and keep warm.  Add wine and bouillon cubes to the pan and 

boil until reduced by one quarter.  Add all ingredients back to the pan and heat 

through.  Serve over pasta.

Comment:  A Suzie speciality!

Manicotti & Sauce

Sauce:

2 cans (1 lb.) crushed tomatoes

2 cans tomato soup

16 oz. tomato paste

2 large cans water

2 T. Basil

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. oregano

Crepes:

6 eggs

½ cup water

1 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

Filling:

2 lb. Ricotta cheese

12 oz. Mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:  Combine sauce ingredients in large pot.  Simmer.  To prepare crepes 

make sure eggs are room temperature.   Beat crepe ingredients together. Place a 

small amount of vegetable oil in small frying pan.  Prepare crepes as if making very 

thin pancakes.  Cool crepes.

Divide cheese filling amongst crepes.  Roll up.  Grease shallow baking pan and coat 

bottom with small amount of sauce.  Line filled crepes up in dish.  Pour some sauce 

over crepes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Serve with more sauce.

Comment:  Feel free to use store bought manicotti noodles instead of crepes.  

Follow package instructions, then stuff with cheese filling.

Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs

Meatballs:

2 1/3 cups panko bread crumbs

1½ cups buttermilk

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

6 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine

3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)

6 T. minced fresh parsley leaves

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ tsp. powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 T. cold water

Salt & Pepper

Sauce:

3 T. olive oil 1 ½ cups grated onions

6 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dried oregano

6 cups bottled tomato juice

3 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes

6 T. dry white wine

½ cup minced fresh basil leaves

3 T. minced fresh parsley leaves

Sugar

Grated parmesan for serving

Directions:  Meatballs:  Place wire rack in 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets.  Adjust 

oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 

degrees.  Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing 

occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.  

Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 1 ½ tsp. 

salt, and ½ tsp. pepper to bread-crumb mixture.  Using hands, gently mix until 

thoroughly combined.  Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatball; 

repeat with remaining mixture to form approximately 40 meatballs.

Spray wire racks with non-stick cooking spray and place meatballs, evenly spaced, 

on racks; roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating trays from front to back and 

top to bottom halfway through. 

Sauce:  While meatballs roast, heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat 

until shimmering.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and 

golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; 

cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomato juice, 

crushed tomatoes, wine, 1 ½ tsp. salt, and pepper to taste.  Increase heat to medium-

high and bring to simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly 

thickened, about 15 minutes.

Remove meatballs from oven and lower over temperature to 300 degrees.  Gently 

add meatballs to sauce, cover pot, and place in oven.  Cook until meatballs are firm 

and sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.

Pasta:  Prepare spaghetti per package instructions.

To serve, stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt, and 

pepper.  Serve with grated Parmesan.

Comment:  Very good. Worth the effort. Huge batch, but freezes well.