Pasta 

You could just use a jar of spaghetti sauce instead of making your own sauce. 

Fettuccini Alfredo

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ C. milk

¾ C. parmesan cheese

12 oz. fettuccine (or spaghetti)

½ C. butter, softened

 Bring lightly salted water to a boil and cook fettuccini according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.  In a saucepan combine cream cheese, parmesan, butter and milk, stirring constantly until smooth.  Toss pasta lightly with sauce, coating well.

Serve with vegetables, bread and butter, and salad.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

6-8 lasagna noodles

1 C. mozzarella cheese

2 C. pasta sauce 

1 egg, beaten

1 C. cottage cheese

1 T. parsley

¼ C. parmesan cheese

 Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, drain. Pour 1 C. pasta in bottom of 9x13 baking dish and spread to cover. Mix together cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and ½ C. mozzarella. Add egg and parsley to make filling. Place a large spoonful of filling on one end of a cooked lasagna noodle and roll up. Place seam side down in prepared pan. Continue until all ingredients are used. Cover with remaining 1 C. pasta sauce and top with ½ C. mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

4 c. macaroni

1 c. diced, cooked ham (optional)

2 T. butter

1 t. salt

2 T. flour

Pinch pepper

1 C. milk

2 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded

 Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until soft; drain. Melt butter in large saucepan; stir in flour until smooth. Add milk and Worcestershire sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; add cheese, ham (if desired), salt and pepper and cook, stirring until cheese is melted.  Combine sauce and macaroni.

Manicotti

1 8 oz package jumbo shells

½ C. cottage cheese

1 T. olive oil

½ C. + 2 T. parmesan cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 jar spaghetti sauce

½ lb. Mozzarella cheese, diced

 Cook shells according to package directions, adding 1 T. oil to cooking water. While shells cook, combine eggs, mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese and 2 T. parmesan cheese and salt in a bowl; mix thoroughly. Place a light layer of spaghetti sauce in a shallow baking dish. Stuff each shell with egg/cheese mixture and place in pan. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle liberally with ½ c. Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Pasta Pizza

2 C. corkscrew macaroni

1 t. basil

3 eggs, beaten

1 t. oregano

1/2 C. milk

1/2 t. garlic salt

1/2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1/4 C. onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper sliced in rings

1 lb. Ground beef

1 small can olives, sliced

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

2 C. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

 Boil macaroni until tender; drain well. Combine eggs and milk; stir into cooked macaroni. Stir in cheddar cheese and onion; mix well. Spread mixture evenly over a very well-buttered 14" pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil, oregano and garlic salt. Spoon meat mixture over baked macaroni crust. Arrange tomato slices, pepper rings and olives over meat mixture.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

This one is a bit labor intensive so I don't make it very often.

Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta (shells, spirals, etc.)

6 oz. mozzarella, cubed

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1 bell pepper, chopped

¼ c. lemon juice (or a little less)

½ c. chopped onion

2 t. vinegar

1/3 c. sliced olives

1 t. salt, oregano

3 c. frozen veggie mix (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)

¼ t. pepper

 Cook pasta until not quite soft. Drain and rinse with cool water. Whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, oregano and pepper together. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, vegetables, and cheese. Add dressing and toss to blend. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve at room temperature.

This is a salad: The amounts don't have to be exact. Use cheddar cheese, fresh veggies instead of frozen, omit the onion, add your favorite salad mixings. Be creative. 

 Spaghetti (Boil spaghetti, drain, serve with spaghetti sauce, top with cheese if desired)