1 pound dried farfalle pasta 1 large can, or box of Roma tomatoes, whole, with sauce, cooked 1 pound low-fat ricotta cheese, drained of excess water 1 Teas. crushed red pepper flakes 1 Teas. crushed garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 3/4 cup onion, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier Liquor 12 ounces Fresh Baby Spinach Inspect, clean and cut or snip stem ends from spinach leaves, wash in cool water, drain, store in refrigerator. On medium high heat, warm large pan, add olive oil. When oil hot, add garlic and crushed red pepper, saute until golden - do not burn. Add onion to pan and continue stirring, until onion becomes a bit translucent. Continue stirring, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes - all of box, sauce and solids. Stir well and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, covered. Remove cover, add Grand Marnier and stir. Remove from heat. In large pot, heat 8 cups of salted water for pasta. When water boils, add pasta and cook according to direction. When pasta is al dente, remove from heat and drain well. Return pasta to pan and return pan to stove, but make sure heat source is turned off. With pasta fork, add ricotta cheese to pasta in pot and toss until all the cheese is blended with the pasta. Add the tomato sauce to pasta and cheese, continue tossing. When pasta, sauce and cheese are blended, serve pasta on plates that have nests of baby spinach leaves.

Carbonara. I "decorate" a couple of packets of prepared alfredo sauce by stirring in the following: sauteed onion sauteed mushrooms 3/4 cup frozen peas crumbled bacon some extra parmesan Stir till all ingredients are heated through and serve over prepared pasta. Rich! GOOD!

Orecchiette with Greens, Garbanzo Beans and Ricotta Salata 1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta 1/2 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 12 ounces Swiss chard or mustard greens, stemmed 12 ounces baby spinach leaves 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups small cherry or grape tomatoes 8 ounces ricotta salata cheese, crumbled 2 teaspoons lemon zest Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted. In batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the pasta, 1/2 of the cheese, and lemon zest. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Transfer to a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

Pasta with Broccoli 1 pound farfalle pasta or other shaped pasta 2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons butter 3 garlic cloves, chopped 5 anchovy fillets, diced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and stir and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Lemon Pasta with Basil and Salmon 1/2 pound spaghetti pasta 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 (4-ounce) pieces salmon 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 3 tablespoons capers 1 lemon, zested 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the salmon from the pan. Add the basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti mixture and toss to combine. Set out 4 serving plates or shallow bowls. Place 1/2 cup spinach in each bowl. Top with 1/4 of the pasta. Top each mound of pasta with a piece of salmon. Serve immediately.

When I was growing up, my family was on a tight budget. To stretch our food money, we came up with some simple dishes which I still crave once or twice a month. One such dish was "macaroni and hamburger". We browned up ground beef with onions, added it to cooked and drained macaroni, and used enough tomato juice to almost make a soup. Now that money isn't so tight, I use V-8 instead of regular tomato juice and play with herbs and spices. Another variation is to use sliced sausage (mostly hot dog) instead of the ground beef. It's nothing fancy, but it does taste good.

This is cheap and healthy and very easy to make and not many people know about this: Simply take a can of beans and drain the beans. Stew the beans for around 10 minutes making sure they do not stick to the pan. Then put the beans in a food processor with a can of tuna. Make into a smooth paste with the zest and juice of an orange. Add chopped tomatoes and roasted pinenuts and olives. Finally use a raw egg to improve the texture and a little maple syrup for that sweetness. A pinch of bazil and a splash of olive oil. Toss in spagetti and use summer fruits like red berries to garnish!