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It is National Pasta Month so you know what it’s about today. What should I do after draining cooked pasta? The only time you should rinse pasta after draining is when you are going to use it in a cold dish, or when you are not going to serve it immediately. In those cases, rinse pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain well. For instant pasta you should not rinse it if you are serving spaghetti, or making a hotdish.

Many recipes call for ounces rather than cups. I have a guideline for how many ounces of uncooked you should use equaling how many cups to use. Small to medium shapes: 8 ounces = 4 c. cooked. Examples: elbow macaroni, medium shells, rotini, bow ties, mostaccioli, penni. Uncooked long pasta shapes: 8 ounces =  1-1/2-inch diameter bunch = 4 c. cooked. Examples: spaghetti, angel hair, linguini, vermicelli, fetticcine. Uncooked egg noodles: = 2-1/2 c. cooked.
 Let’s do recipes.

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HEARTY CHICKEN & SHELL CHOWDER
3 c. small shell pasta, uncooked
4 slices bacon
3 T. canola oil or margarine
3 c. cubed, cooked chicken breast
1/2 c. diced onion
3 T. flour
5 c. milk, heated slightly
4 t. chicken bouillon granules
1 t. dried basil leaves
1/4 t. pepper
1-11 oz. can whole kernel corn or 1-1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed

Cook shells according to pkg. directions, just tender. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel; crumble and set aside. Discard bacon drippings. Add oil or margarine to the saucepan. Stir in chicken and onion; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Slowly add milk, bouillon, basil and pepper, stirring constantly until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in bacon, shells and pepper; heat through. Makes 6-8 servings.

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CHEESY BEEF SPIRALS
 2 c. uncooked spiral or rotini pasta
2 lbs. ground beef
2 small onions, diced (about 2/3 c.)
1 garlic clove minced
1 – 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1-4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces drained
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2- lb. (8 oz.) American cheese, cubed
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to pkg. directions. Meanwhile in a large saucepan, cook first three ingredients over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Put 1/2 c. meat sauce in a greased shallow 2-1/2 qt. baking dish (casserole). Drain pasta; place half over sauce. Top with half the remaining meat sauce, spread sour cream over top. (I drop “blobs” of sour cream over top for easier spreading.) Top with American cheese and remaining pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or untill bubbly.  Makes 8-10 servings

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TACO NOODLE 
DINNER
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. diced onion
3/4 c. water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 t. salt, optional
1 – 4 oz.  can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
3 c. uncooked fine egg noodles
2-1/2 c. tomato juice
1 c. sour cream, at room temperature
1 T. minced fresh parsley

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion till no longer pink; drain. Stir in water, taco seasoning and salt. Reduce heat; simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms. Sprinkle noodles over top. Pour tomato juice over noodles, stirring gently. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or untill noodles are tender.

Remove from heat. Combine sour cream and parsley; spread over top. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.  Makes 6 servings. Serve with garlic French bread, a lettuce salad (a combination of greens), sliced black olives, shredded carrots, sliced cauliflower florets, chopped tomatoes…lots of veggies there for a filling meal.

Thought for the Day: It isn’t the load that weighs us down, it’s the way we carry it.

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