Spinach and Ham Baked Pasta with a Crispy Top

• 1 pound cavatappi, corkscrew pasta with lines or, macaroni with line in any short cut
• Salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
• 1/2 pound sliced capocollo, hot ham, halve then slice into thin ribbons
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and excess liquid squeezed out
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a few large handfuls, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated, eyeball it
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches
• 1 pound ball fresh mozzarella -- buy a piece wrapped, not packed in water, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup plain or Italian bread crumbs
• A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, salt water and cook to al dente, with a bite.

While the water is coming up to a boil for the pasta, heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. When butter melts into the oil, add onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes then dust the onions with flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Gently bring milk to a bubble, allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in the capocola, spinach and 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne and remove from the heat. Taste and add a little salt, if you like.

Combine the cooked pasta and the cubed mozzarella with the sauce, stir to coat completely by turning over and over. Transfer dressed pasta to a baking dish.

To make the breadcrumb topping, combine the breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top to cover the pasta from edge to edge. Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Garnish with chopped parsley. 

From Rachael Ray

Breakfast Burritos

• 1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage (you can cut casings off if you can't find bulk)
• 1/2 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, drained 
• 8 oz shredded mexican cheese
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups hash brown crowns
• sour cream

Bake hash crowns crowns as directed.
Brown sausage in a large skillet, drain.  Add Rotel and cook 5 minutes.  Beat eggs and pour over sausage.  Sir and cook over med-low until eggs are cooked.
Roll egg mixture, hash brown crowns and cheese into tortillas. Top with sour cream.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

This is one of my family's favorite meals.  My 4yr old and 2yr old love it! I like to mix the noodles and sauce together, top it with cheese and bake it.  I make less noodles though because it's a little dry if you use a whole box (or double the sauce if you need all the noodles).  I also use chicken broth in place of the wine (because I never have any) and skip the bay leaf.  

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente 

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

From 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray