My mother loved gratins, and leftover meat and cold cuts always found their way into our pasta, usually along with zucchini or peas. I have made gratins for my family through the years. The gratin can be made ahead, sprinkled with Parmesan, and kept, covered, at room temperature for a few hours or refrigerated for up to a day before it is finished in the oven. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature and bake on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes in a 425-degree oven until heated through and lightly browned on top. Do not try to keep the cooked gratin in a warm oven for more than 10 to 15 minutes, or the pasta will swell up in the liquid and become gooey.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • corn kernals
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • grated Swiss cheese
  • unsalted butter
  • all-purpose flour
  • milk
  • heavy cream
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese
ready in about 50 minutes; serves 5
You might need to buy:
  • extra-wide egg noodles
  • cottage cheese
  • dried basil leaves

This pasta casserole is a hearty yet elegant combination of whole wheat penne, rich butternut squash, toasted walnuts, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
POINTS® Value: 5
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
*Look for a 20 ounce bag of fresh, already peeled and cubed squash from your supermarket. If you can’t find any, cut a medium squash in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Scoop squash out of skin into a large bowl, mash with a spoon and proceed as above.

Alternatively, you can microwave cubed squash, covered, in a shallow microwave-safe baking dish or container with 1/4 cup of water, until cooked through; mash squash in a bowl.

ready in about an hour and a half; serves 80
You might need to buy:
  • sprays cooking spray
  • fat-free skim milk
  • white all-purpose flour
  • minced garlic
  • table salt
  • part-skim ricotta cheese
  • Instructions

This recipe makes two pans of pasta. Serve one tonight, and keep the other in the freezer for up to three months. To freeze, prepare the dish through dividing the pasta between the two pans; let cool completely before covering tightly with plastic wrap and placing in the freezer.

ready in about 40 minutes; serves 10
You might need to buy:
  • whole tomatoes
  • rigatoni
  • heavy cream
  • oregano
  • baby spinach
  • grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh pasta is the best choice for this dish; supermarkets sell 9-ounce containers of fresh pasta in the refrigerator section (see related article for tasting results). When boiling the pasta, undercook it slightly (even shy of al dente) because the pasta cooks an additional minute or two in the sauce. Note that Fettuccine Alfredo must be served immediately; it does not hold or reheat well.

ready in about 30 minutes; serves 5
You might need to buy:
  • fresh fettuccine
ready in about 40 minutes; serves 7
You might need to buy:
  • mustard
  • seasoned salt
  • pepper
  • Velveeta
  • cheddar cheese
  • evaporated milk
  • eggs
  • elbow macaroni
ready in about an hour and 15 minutes; serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • shallots
  • Ground black pepper
  • butternut squash
  • chicken broth
  • reduced-fat milk
  • fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • plain dried bread crumbs
Belongs to kmolina Italian Spaghetti 

Good simple recipe

ready in about an hour and a half; serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • Italian sausage
  • Italian seasoning
  • dried basil
  • dried oregano
Belongs to kmolina Homemade Noodles 

simple noodles for pasta

ready in about two hours and 10 minutes; serves 4

I removed the pepper

serves 2
You might need to buy:
  • Butternut squash
  • white potato
  • all-purpose flour
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • onion powder