Karen, do you want to keep with an Italian theme? This Pear with Tiramisu is delicous. I also have a wonderful cassata cake recipe. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Carmelized Pears with Tiramisu Cream ==================================== This scrumptious dessert from HeartSmart Cooking for Family and Friends will make dinner guests think you're a professional chef, and the fact that it's low-fat makes it even more attractive. Http://www.canada.com/vancouver/features/tasteofbc/r ecipes/carmel_pears.html Ingredients: 4 medium pears, firm but ripe (preferably bartlett or bosc) 2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped candied ginger 1 lemon, sliced very thin Filling 1/2 cup (125 mL) part skim ricotta cheese, drained (see note) 2 tablespoons (30 mL) granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla extract 2 teaspoons (10 mL) dark rum, coffee liqueur or extra-strong coffee 2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate 1 tablespoon (15 mL) icing sugar, sifted . Preparation: Cut pears in half lengthwise. Scoop out cores (a melon baller works well). Sprinkle 2/3 cup (150 mL) granulated sugar over bottom of large heavy frypan that will hold all the pears in one layer. Cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until sugar begins to brown and melt, stirring occasionally (be careful not to let burn). Remove frypan from heat. Add pears cut side down. Sprinkle with ginger and arrange lemon slices over top. Place over low heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Cover and remove from heat; let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare filling: In small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) granulated sugar, vanilla and rum. Place chopped chocolate in strainer to remove any chocolate "dust" (this prevents the ricotta from discolouring). Stir chocolate pieces into filling. To serve, place a pear half, cut side up, on each plate. Spoon about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cheese mixture on to each half. Drizzle pear and plate with any syrup remaining in frypan. Arrange a cool lemon slice on each and dust with icing sugar. Makes 8 servings. Note: Put ricotta cheese in sieve set over bowl and let drain for 1 hour before using.

Here's another one I just found on the internet. Zucchini Walnut Lasagna Prep: 50 min. Bake: 40 min. ⢠2 medium zucchini ⢠4 tsp. olive oil ⢠2 large onions, cut into wedges ⢠2 large carrots, sliced ⢠4 cloves garlic ⢠2 cups purchased marinara sauce ⢠1 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed ⢠1/8 tsp. ground black pepper ⢠1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.) ⢠1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ⢠9 no-boil lasagne noodles ⢠1/2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted ⢠Chopped walnuts, toasted (optional) 1. Preheat broiler. Lightly grease a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. Trim ends off zucchini. Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat about 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender, turning once. Cool. Adjust oven temperature to 375 degrees F. 2. Meanwhile, for sauce: In a food processor, combine onions, carrots, and garlic. Cover and process until finely chopped. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 3 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Add marinara sauce, basil, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. In a small bowl, combine mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. 4. To assemble, arrange three of the noodles in the prepared baking dish. Spread with one-third of the sauce. Sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons of the nuts. Top with one-third of the zucchini and one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering noodles, sauce, nuts, zucchini, and cheese mixture, alternating the direction of the zucchini in each layer. Top with the remaining noodles, remaining sauce, remaining nuts, and remaining zucchini. 5. Cover dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese mixture. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped walnuts. Makes 6 servings.

Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 10 at 9:44 I'm confused? I thought the pasta cookalong was next week, as the pasta party. I didn't do it this past weekend because I thought that's what we were doing. Well, that, and I've been very busy and was gone last weekend. So, the pasta party and pasta cookalong are/were two different things? Thats okay, as I could eat pasta every day...well, I could if I wanted to gain 300 pounds, lol. Bring on the cream cheese, because I'll buy it thinking I'll use it, then it will sit in the fridge for months before I toss it because it's old. It'll be good to get some recipes. Sally o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 10 at 11:40 That settles it Sally, you're just going to have to make a dish this weekend that uses pasta AND cream cheese. Might I suggest noodle pudding, known as "kugel" around my house. I may have a recipe if you would like. o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 9:31 That sounds like a great idea. You want to post it on the pasta party or cream cheese thread? Actually, I'm going out of town again this weekend, but I plan to take whatever I need with me to do the pasta party - I just won't be able to post about it till Monday night or Tuesday. Sally o Pesto Trappanese clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by johnliu (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 11:02 Pesto Trappanese This is a dead-easy summer dish, as with many Italian recipes either find really good ingredients or don't make it. Ideal picnic food. Tomato â€" 2 cups, dice by hand, no need to peel or seed. Or, quarter a bunch of cherry tomatoes, which is labor-intensive but flavorful. Parmesan or Asagio or similar salty, hard cheese - 1/2 cup, grated. Chop coarsely by hand: Basil â€" 1-2 cup fresh leaves (or chiffonade which looks prettiest) Garlic â€" 2-3 cloves Almonds â€" ½ cup or more, toasted lightly Optional - a couple of shallots, a bit of fresh mint. Combine. Add to taste: Salt â€" Kosher ideally Pepper â€" fresh cracked Olive oil Lemon - squeeze juice Optional - a bit of red wine vinegar Serve on pasta, cooked in salted water, pasta should be cooled or chilled. I like spirals becuse they are cute and hold the pesto well. Do not use a food processor, the tomatoes tend to turn to juice, the rest becomes too fine, and when mixed up the whole thing looks disturbingly like stomach contents. o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by paprikash (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 14:20 This is absolutely the best tuna noodle casserole I have ever tasted. My husband couldn't stop eating it (little did he know he was eating artichoke hearts....) * Exported from MasterCook * Mediterranean Tuna Casserole Recipe By : Cooking Enthusiast Catalog Serving Size : 4 Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 6 ounces egg noodles -- cooked al dente 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 red pepper -- diced 1 clove garlic -- peeled and minced 4 ounces baby portobella mushrooms -- sliced 1 7 oz can artichoke hearts -- drained and chopped 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 2 4 oz cans bonito del norte tuna -- drained 3/4 cup parmesan cheese -- shredded 3 scallions -- thinly sliced 1/2 cup crispy onions 1/4 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs Melt butter in large saucepot over medium heat. Add red peppers and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts and flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heavy cream and cook until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 12-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. In large bowl, combine the egg noodles, tuna, scallions, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and sauce mixture. Grease a 10" round casserole, add noodle mixture and top with crispy onions, remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Bake in a 400* oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : I probably used closer to 8 oz of baby portobellas and I used regular panko crumbs. I used the canned French's onion rings (Cooking Enthusiast sells their "crispy onions" but I've never bought them). The French's onion rings were starting to burn after 15 minutes so don't top with them until the last 8 to 10 minutes or leave them off. I do buy my tuna fish from Cooking Enthusiast -- it's packed in olive oil and wonderful but I am sure regular tuna fish packed in olive oil will work fine, too. o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 18:18 I made Lpinkmountain's recipe (sorry, don't know your real name) for Spaghetti al Tonno / Pasta with Tuna Sauce. It was delicious and I used the anchovies, lemon zest, and olives. The instructions did not say when to add in the anchovies, so I added them in with the onion as I have seen done on the food network. My husband and I both went back for seconds. Thanks for sharing such a great, quick recipe! o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA Recipe!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 18:28 Here is a recipe my niece shared with me that is very delicious. Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Courtesy of Giada Delurentis. Ingredients: 3TBOlive Oil 1 pkg spicy sausage casings removed 2 bunches Broccoli Rabe (I use one) 3-5 cloves garlic minced pinch of dried red pepper flakes (or more if you can take it) 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated 1/2 tea fresh ground black pepper Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil Broccoli Rabe for one minute. Strain broccoli rabe reserving all cooking liquid. Cook orecchiette in the same water as the broccoli rabe until al dente. Drain reserving one cup of cooking liquid. Meanwhile cook sausage in large skillet with oil breaking into pieces. Cook until brown and juices form. Add garlic and red pepper, saute until fragrant. Add broccoli rabe toss to coat . Add pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid to keep moisten. Stir Parmesan salt to taste and fresh ground pepper to taste into mixture. Enjoy o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 22:37 That's right Mamalou, Joyce says to add the anchovies after sauteeing the onions until transluscent. Sorry I left them out! I tried to like anchovies but I just can't do it, lol! My name is Laurie but I like to go by my screen name or Lpink for short, just for privacy's sake. If it was just the regular members on here that knew my name I wouldn't mind, but with the Internet, anything can come up in a search anywhere. Glad you like the pasta. I've been wanting to make it for the longest time, but I also want to make Sharon's pasta with peas and bacon, and a recipe I have for spinach fettucinni. And I still have orzo minestrone to eat up, one week later. So much pasta, so little time . . . o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookingrvc (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 23:22 Ok, had forgotten about this but I turns out that I was planning to make pasta tomorrow so I guess I'm in! I have some fresh portobello agnolotti which I plan to serve with a white truffle cream sauce (got the truffle cream, just need to make a sauce base) as a first course. Small serving - just enough. Second course will be a grilled flank steak with some sides - I'll see what looks good in the market. I like the boiled, smashed, then roasted red potatoes (Pioneer Women) that someone posted and might add a bit of onion. Sue o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lorijean44 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 10 at 10:41 Here's my contribution to the cookalong: Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/2 cup diced onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-ounce can Italian diced tomatoes 1-1/2 cups whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 pound bowtie pasta 3 tablespoons fresh minced basil Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage, crumble and cook in oil with crushed pepper until sausage is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook another 5-7 minutes until tender. Drain tomatoes, chop coarsely and stir into sausage along with cream, salt and basil. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. In a separate pot of boiling water cook pasta al dente. Drain pasta and add to simmering sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Serves 4. Source: An Appetite for Art, copyright 2001 Lori o RE: Cookalong #24 ----------PASTA!!!!!!! clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 10 at 16:54 Thanks LPink! We enjoyed the leftovers today...they tasted even better than the first time!! Yum!

I would add some chopped fresh tomatoes and basil, since both are in season now. When I make a pasta salad, I sometimes use black pepper and other times use red pepper flakes, but not both. I would only use one of your cheeses, but I normally add mozzarella with Parmesan. I also like pesto on cold pasta, but I do add tomatoes to that also.