Filling/Sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
3/4 cup water
(Double this for 9x13 pan)

Cheese
1 egg, beaten
10 oz thawed frozen chopped spinach
1 cup cream style cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
1 tsp salt

12 oz lasagna noodles
Shredded mozzarella

Brown onion, garlic, and beef. Add the mushrooms, sauce, paste, salt, oregano, and water. Simmer for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (except pasta). Cook the noodles al dente. Toss with egg. Layer in 9x13 pan: sauce, noodles, cheese, sauce, noodles, cheese. Cover and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Uncover and top with shredded mozzarella and bake until cheese is bubbly. Let stand 10-20 minutes before cutting.

2 T (1/4 stick) butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 T fresh thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dried
1 T fresh tarragon, chopped or 1 tsp dried
1 T fresh basil, chopped or 1 tsp dried
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup vodka
3/4 lb spaghetti or linguini, freshly cooked
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and saute until tender and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Add herbs and saute 1 minute. Add whipping cream and vodka and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Add pasta and cheese and toss until sauce coats pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

1 pound Italian sausage
8 oz rigatoni
4 cups tomato sauce, divided
1/2 pound Provolone cheese, sliced
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 pound Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 350. Cook rigatoni in boiling salted water until cooked al dente. Drain. Butter 13x9x2 baking pan.
In a large skillet, brown sausage. Drain and discard drippings. Place rigatoni in prepared pan. Top with 2 cups of the tomato sauce, Provolone, sour cream, and sausage. Sprinkle with basil, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Top with Mozzarella and remaining 2 cups tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake about 30 min or until thoroughly heated.

Servings: 8

3/4 pound bacon, chopped
1/2 cup onion
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz spaghetti
3 eggs
1-1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook bacon over medium heat until just beginning to brown. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Drain oil from skillet.
While bacon cooks, cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente. Drain. Whisk eggs with cream and Parmesan to blend. Add mixture to bacon and onion in skillet Add cooked spaghetti and toss until thoroughly coated. Cook over low heat until mixture thickens and is heated through, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Pass additional Parmesan separately.

3 cups broccoli florets
4 cups penne pasta
3 cups cooked chicken or 2 cups salmon, chopped
2 cups Asiago Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

Asiago Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, 1% ok
1 cup Asiago cheese, grated

For Pasta
Prepare the pasta as per the package instructions for "al dente." One minute before pasta is ready, add the broccoli. Drain. Combine the pasta and broccoli and the remaining ingredients. Spoon into an 11x7 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 20 minutes or until bubbly.

For Sauce
Place the flour in a medium, heavy saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring until blended. Place over medium heat, cook until thick, stirring constantly, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stirring until melted.

Note: I would add some julienned carrots at the time I added the broccoli to the cooking pasta to give some additional color.
Note 2: Dish can be frozen as soon as you pour the contents into the baking pan. Defrost completely in the refrigerator and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Can also be taken directly from the freezer and bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour.

Servings: 6

Shells
3/4 pound jumbo pasta shells
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 pound Fontina cheese, grated
2 T fresh scallion tops or chives, chopped
1 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
3 cups Basic Italian Tomato Sauce

Basic Italian Tomato Sauce
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
28 oz canned tomatoes with their juice, chopped
3/4 cup water
2 T tomato paste
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 T fresh basil, chopped

2 cup chicken broth
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3 T cornstarch
Dash of pepper
Dash of Worcestershire
Dash of nutmeg
French bread

Heat 1-3/4 cups chicken broth and garlic until almost boiling. Add both cheeses. While the cheese melts, mix in remainder of ingredients. Keep at room temperature just below boiling.
Cut french bread with crust on each piece.

Bread Crumb Topping
4 slices white sandwich bread with crusts, torn into quarters
1/4 cup (1/2 oz) Parmesan, grated
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Pasta
4 oz (1 cup) Fontina cheese, shredded
3 oz (3/4 cup) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1 lb penne
1 T table salt
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 tsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Topping
Pulse bread in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses (you should have about 1-1/2 cups). Transfer to small bowl; stir in Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set mixture aside.
Pasta
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Combine cheeses in large bowl; set aside. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water; stir to separate pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low high heat; whisk flour into butter until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in cream, increase heat to medium, and bring to boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute to ensure that flour cooks. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; cover cream mixture to keep hot and set aside.
When pasta is al dente (when bitten into, pasta should be opaque and slightly underdone at very center), drain about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet. Add pasta to bowl with cheeses; immediately pour cream mixture over, then cover bowl with foil or large plate and let stand 3 minutes. Uncover bowl and stir with rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl, until cheeses are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.
Transfer pasta to 13x9-inch baking dish, then sprinkle evenly with reserved bread crumbs, pressing down lightly. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch dried red-pepper flakes
1 lb ricotta cheese, low fat okay
6 T Parmesan, grated
2 eggs
3 T fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup mozzarella, grated

Zesty Tomato Sauce
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz can tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Crespelle
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1-1/2 cup milk
3 T olive oil
Olive oil for cooking

Sauce
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the white wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, 1 hour. Add the pepper and puree the sauce in a food processor or blender.
Crespelle
Put the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and oil in a blender or food processor and whir until smooth. Pour the batter into a bowl. Cover and let rest 30 minutes. Heat a 6 or 7 inch non-stick frying pan over moderately high heat. Brush the pan lightly with oil or spray. Ladle in about 3 tablespoons of the batter. Tilt and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan completely, working quickly before the batter sets. Cook until the batter stiffens and just begins to brown around the edge, about 30 seconds. Loosen the crespelle from the pan by running a rubber scraper around the edge. With your fingers, flip the crespelle. Cook about 5 seconds longer. Remove and repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil only if necessary. Stack the finished crespelle.

In medium frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes longer. Let cool.
In medium bowl, combine the onion mixture, ricotta, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking dish (or a pan appropriate to the number of cannelloni you'll be cooking). Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
Put a crespelle, brown side up, on the work surface. Spoon about 3 tablespoons filling in the center. Fold in 1 inch from opposite sides of the crespelle. Starting from an unfolded side, roll up the crespelle to form a cylinder. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Continue filling and rolling until all the cannelloni are completed. (They can be frozen unsauced at this point).
Pour the remaining sauce over the filled cannelloni and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 min.

Serving: 6
2/3 recipe of crepes yields 12 crepes. 1/2 recipe filling yields 8 cannelloni