Recipes

PENNE ROSA
*Serves 4
1/2 lb penne pasta
3 Tbsp - 1/4 c. white cooking wine
apprx 1 c. favorite pre-made spaghetti sauce (more if serving more people)
apprx 1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 box frz spinach, thawed & drained
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes from a jar w/ oil (leave whole, as chopping will make them flavorless in sauce)
1/4 ea. red & green peppers, chopped
1/2 zucchini, shredded
1 good dash cayenne pepper
extra garlic, depending on garliciness of spaghetti sauce
Garnishes: freshly shredded parmesan; provolone cheese slices; freshly diced tomato

-Do all food prep first. If you begin pasta and sauce at same time, they'll finish at same time - warm pasta, warm sauce.
-Cook pasta according to pkg directions (apprx 10 min). *Bring water to boil, THEN add salt. Adding salt first makes water take longer to boil.*  While water comes to boil, start sauce. In sm sauce pan over med, heat wine and reduce to cook out alcohol. Stir in rest of ingredients and cook over med 5-8 min or until pasta is ready. If sauce begins to bubble, cover and turn to low.

PARMESAN PUFF PASTRY
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/parmesan-puff-pastry-recipe/index.html
-I use Pillsbury Crescent Rolls instead of puff pastry sheets.
-I don't grease baking sheet or use a floured surface. Instead, I lay out and separate each crescent roll on baking sheet, then twist them, then brush w/ butter, then roll in cheese mixture.
*A fresh parmesan cheese block is a MILLION times better than the Kraft pkg kind. If you wrap it in celophane and put in a ziplock, it keeps for a month or two, so you don't have to worry about it going bad before you eat it all. Plus, it's a super easy way to fancy-up a meal.