Sausage and Peppers Mac and Cheese

It's no lie that I LOVE pasta... especially mac and cheese!  I made this the other day, it is yummy!  I wouldn't classify it as mac and cheese however.  Maybe like cheesy macaroni with sausage and peppers.  I know, what's the difference....trust me....there is a difference!  I don't like people messing with my momma's mac and cheese!  Anywho...this is a very tasty meal with a salad and piece of garlic bread.


Italian Sausage and Pepper Macaroni & Cheese

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pound penne
8 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
6 cups whole milk
4 cups (16 ounces) cheese, grated (I used a combo of Parmesan and mozzarella)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
A few shakes of salt and black pepper
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh sliced flat-leaf parsley


Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and saute 3 minutes or until softened. Add sausage and cook for 8-10 minutes or until browned all over and no longer pink. Add red bell pepper and cook 2 minutes until softened.


Cook pasta in salted water, about 2 minutes short of being fully cooked; it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the cooked pasta, but do not rinse.


4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Gradually add milk, whisking continuously until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.


5. Add cooked sausage and pepper mixture, cheese, cream sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, basil and parsley. Stir well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cheese sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Spaghetti Pie

I am addicted to pasta!  I could eat some sort of pasta every day of the week.  NOT a good thing considering I'm a diabetic and shouldn't be eating so many carbs!

If you like spaghetti or lasagna, you will LOVE spaghetti pie! I know my family did.

Spaghetti Pie (this makes 2 pies)


1 pound spaghetti
1.5 pounds ground beef
2 small onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 tbs minced garlic
2 cans of tomato sauce
2 tbs of Italian seasoning
4 tbs of butter
2 cups Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups ricotta cheese


Cook spaghetti according to the package.  In a saucepan cook ground beef. Once cooked, add in onion, pepper and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain grease and add in Italian seasoning and tomato sauce.  Simmer for about 15 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, melted butter, 1 cup Parmesan and eggs.  Divide mixture into 2 greased pie plates.  Push spaghetti up the sides of both dishes and the bottoms making a crust. Spread ricotta over spaghetti and sprinkle on  1/2 cup mozzarella.  Spoon meat mixture over the ricotta and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella and some Italian seasoning.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese on top slightly browns.  Serve with some garlic bread or a side salad and enjoy!

Turkey and Spinach Pasta Rolls

It's no secret that I love pasta! And lasagna tops the list of my favorite meals of all time!  My husband was a little leery about this dish.  He doesn't like it when I switch up the food he knows and loves so well.  But, I think this went over very well with both him and the kids! It will definitely be on my list of must haves!

Turkey and Spinach Pasta Rolls

1 package of lasagna noodles (regular or whole wheat)
15 oz of ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 pound of lean ground turkey
3 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
4 tbs of minced garlic
2 tsp of Italian seasoning
2 cups of spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce

Cook noodles according to the package.

Brown the turkey with the garlic, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, chopped spinach, Italian seasoning, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and turkey.

Put 1 cup of the sauce int he bottom of a casserole dish.

Spoon the mixture onto a lasagna noodle and spread the whole length of the noodle. Roll the noodle up and place int he casserole dish. Do this until you have no more mixture.

Spread the remaining 1 cup of sauce over the top of the pasta rolls. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle some Italian seasoning on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Fettuccine with Tomato Cream Sauce

So, you will learn that pasta is an addiction in this house.  Not very good seeing I am a diabetic but I just cannot help it!  This can be made with any type of pasta, with or without meat...it's up to you! Tonight, I made mine with fettuccine and sweet Italian sausage.

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 whole onion, diced fine
• 2-3 Tbs of minced garlic
• 30 ounces of tomato sauce
• A little bit of salt, pepper and sugar (I don't measure, just to my taste)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan or parm reggiano cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound fettuccine

Saute olive oil, butter, garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomato sauce. Cook on med heat, stirring frequently for 15-20 minutes until reduced slightly. Add salt, pepper and sugar.  Add in cheese, mix well.  Pour in cream and mix well. Continue to heat for 10 minutes on med heat stirring often.

Toss with pasta and protein (sausage, scallops, shrimp etc).

Top with a bit of parm cheese and there you have it!

Yumminess!  Enjoy!