Quick & Easy Alfredo with Pasta:

1 package fresh tortellini or gnocchi, cooked and ready to eat
1/2 cup butter
1 package cream cheese, or Philly Cooking Creme (the flavored varieties are awesome)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups milk
3/4 cup parmesan
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a pan until completely softened.
Add garlic, pepper, and cream cheese, mixing well to smooth out lumps.
When completely melted, add milk slowly, continuing to stir.
Add parmesan cheese, stir again and continue to heat/stir till desired thickness.
Toss with pasta and serve!

- By BentoLunch.net Reviews.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 box rotini pasta (or really any style will work, go with your favorite or whatever you have on hand)

1 green bell pepper

1 bunch broccoli

2 medium tomatoes

1 can black olives

1 bottle Italian salad dressing 

Cook pasta till al dente, rinse under cool water. Dice green peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. Slice black olives. Combine pasta, veggies and salad dressing in a bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Enjoy!

- Signature Family Recipe by Southern Yankee Mix.

Yummy Creamy Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
One 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 1/2 cans of Milk (use can from soup to measure)
1 packet of Dry Italian Dressing Mix
1 stick Butter
Pasta- you can do any kind of noodle, my favorite for this dish is Penne or Bowtie (sometimes I mix both together).

Directions:
Cook chicken and chop into bite size pieces. Set aside.

Cook Pasta as directed on it’s package.

While Pasta is cooking combine cream cheese, butter, cream of mushroom soup, milk and dry Italian dressing mix packet in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium to high heat stirring frequently. Cook for about 15 min. or until butter and cream cheese have melted and mixed in.

Add chopped chicken into the sauce.

Serve over the noodles and Enjoy!

- Check out the complete great family recipe by The Bragging Mommy.

Secret Family Spaghetti Recipe

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce (my improvisation)
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
Secret mixture of herbs and spices
Salt and sugar added as needed  
(I also use this opportunity to blend some veggies such as broccoli, spinach, etc that the kids don’t like to eat alone, and I pour it into the sauce. Once it’s cooked they don’t even know it’s there, but I love knowing that they are getting the nutrients that they need!)

I brown the ground beef and sausage in a pan together and drain. In a separate pan, cook the onions and garlic together until clear. In a large saucepot, mix the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and herbs and spices. Cook on low until meat and onions are done, then add all items to the large pot and simmer on low for about 4 hours (can also put in slow cooker). If mine is on the stove, I stir in about every 30 minutes. 

When it is ready just boil your pasta and serve with Italian Bread and a salad. Now this makes more than we can eat in one meal, so when it is cool, I pour the remainder into freezer bags and save for future meals. This is my base marinara sauce for every type of pasta that I make.

- Excerpted from Practical Frugality.

Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

1 box of Penne Pasta
1 jar of favorite Spaghetti Sauce
Water
8 oz. bag of Mozzarella Cheese

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place uncooked pasta in a 9×13 baking dish.  Add spaghetti sauce.  Fill empty jar of spaghetti sauce with water and add to the dish.  Mix it all together.  Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes (give or take).  Cover with cheese and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Yum!

- Great family recipe by Mommies with Cents.