Penne w/ Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

12 oz. penne
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh rosemary
15 oz. pumpkin puree
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. half & half
1/3 c. Parmesan
1 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper

1. Cook pasta in pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, drain pasta and set aside.
2. In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. Add rosemary and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove rosemary from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Carefully add pumpkin to oil (it will splatter) and garlic, half & half, cheese, vinegar, red pepper and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Stir sauce until heated through about 2 minutes.
4. Add pasta to sauce and toss to coat. If necessary, thin sauce with remaining pasta water. Season generously with salt and serve sprinkled with fried rosemary and more crushed red pepper if you like it spicy.

-Everyday Food

Zucchini Pasta

1 lb. pasta (any kind)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, chopped (I always use more)
1 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 c. basil, torn or shredded

Boil water and salt. Cook pasta until al dente. Save a cup or so of your pasta water.

Heat a large skillet over medium. Add oil and garlic. Cook 2 minutes and add zucchini. Cook about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple ladles of cooking water. Drain pasta and add to zucchini. Toss with the cheese and turn off the heat. Toss for 2 minutes until liquids are absorbed. Serve with basil on top.

Christmas Pasta

It's been a while but here it is, as promised, Rachael Ray's Christmas Pasta.

1 lb. rigatoni
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb pancetta
1/4 lb. hot Italian sausage
1/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 t. allspice
black pepper
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 med. yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c. dry red wine (I go without, the beef broth deglazes the pan anyway)
1 cup beef broth
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup Romano

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 T. olive oil and brown pancetta in one half the pan and sausage in the other half. Break up sausage and let pancetta render. Combine and cook together for a minute. Remove from pan. Add 1 T. olive oil and brown the beef and veal. Season with allspice, salt and pepper. Add carrots, onion and garlic and cook for 6 minutes to soften. Add sausage and pancetta. Deglaze with wine. Add beef broth and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat until ready to serve. Stir in parsley.

Fettuccine Alfredo

12 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup half and half
1 cup parmigiano reggiano
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
black pepper
pinch salt

Bring salted water to a rolling boil for pasta. Preheat large skillet over moderate heat. Add butter to pan and melt. Add half and half to melted butter stirring constantly, add cheese and cook sauce for one minute. Season with nutmeg, pepper and salt. Turn off heat and add drained pasta.

Cheesy Mac

I'll be the first to profess my undying love for Kraft but this is on a whole other level.

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (I leave mine slightly undercooked)
2 cups grated Cheddar
3 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. While macaroni is still hot add the cheddar. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add to macaroni mixture. Pour in casserole dish and bake 30-45 minutes.

Spaghetti Pie

1 tablespoon butter
1 pound spaghetti
6 large eggs, beaten
1 pound mozarella
1 cup Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook spaghetti until al dente. Mix all ingredients. Put into cake pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake 20 more minutes. I like to serve with a marinara sauce on the side.