Pastas






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The Original Rich and Charlie’s Toasted Ravioli with Marinara Sauce

Stove Top

After I moved to St. Louis in 1974, I became much closer to my parents. I left Louisiana so that I could go back to Missouri get my art degree at Fontbonne College. Mom and I got into the habit of spending a Saturday afternoon shopping or going to a movie and then sharing a plate of toasted ravioli and a half salad at Rich and Charlie’s Restaurant. Mom became my best friend and I decided then that I wanted a little girl who I could have the kind of relationship that my mother and I shared. I was given the gift of not only my daughter Samantha, but Haden as well and only wish that Mom had lived long enough to enjoy them as much as I do. The reason Mom was in Memphis when she died was because she wanted so badly to be with Sammie and Haden. But then I do believe she is their special angel.

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil or butter

  • 2 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut up

  • 2 Tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 slightly beaten egg

  • 2 Tablespoons milk

  • 1 (16-20 oz) package frozen meat or cheese-filled ravioli, thawed

  • 2/3 - 1 cup seasoned fine dry breadcrumbs

  • Cooking oil for deep-fat frying

  • Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat together egg and milk. Dip each ravioli in egg mixture; then dip in breadcrumbs to coat. (You can buy the breaded ravioli in some supermarkets.) In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat 2 inches of cooking oil to 350 degrees F. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, in hot oil for about 2 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 300-degree oven while frying the rest.

For sauce: In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot olive oil or butter until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, dried basil (if using), salt, and pepper. Cover; cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in tomato paste. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in fresh basil, if using. Cover sauce; keep warm. (You can substitute your favorite bottled marinara sauce.) To serve: Sprinkle ravioli with Parmesan cheese, if you like. Serve with warm sauce for dipping. Makes 12 to 14 appetizers.

10 Pound Lasagna

350 F

From Sammie: I've made this for every boyfriend I've had, and it's my go to for potluck dinners. It was the first meal I made for the Shirey family.

  • 1 box lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

  • 2 pounds lean ground sirloin or round, browned and drained

  • 1 large jar tomato sauce

  • 1 large container cottage cheese

  • 2 to 3 eggs

  • Multiple bags shredded cheese ( mozzarella, parmesan, etc)

  • Spices for meat sauce: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, handful of chopped onions optional

Boil water to roiling, drop 9 to 12 noodles depending on pan size. Boil 10 mins and drain. Brown, spice, and drain meat. Add tomato sauce, heat on low.

Spread thin layer sauce in pan. One layer noodles. One layer meat sauce. Mix cottage cheese, eggs, and parmesan in bowl. Top meat sauce layer with mixture, then sprinkle layer of shredded cheese. Repeat layers until pan full. Top layer should be shredded cheese. Bake 350 (around 45 mins, depending on oven) until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

  • 8 very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup basil leaves, cut into thin strips

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • ¾ cup sliced ripe olives

  • ½ cup sliced green olives

  • 3-6 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon grated pepper

  • 1 ½ pounds linguine or spaghetti

  • Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Stove Top

Combine tomatoes, oil, basil, cheese, olives, green olives, garlic, salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Cook pasta until tender. Drain well and return to pot. Stir in tomato mixture. Serve with Parmesan cheese. May be halved for family portions.

Yield: 12 to 15 side dish servings

Baked Ziti or Penne Pasta

Stove Top, 350 F

This recipe is the elaborate party long version of what I would serve my family: 2 cans of Hunt’s Traditional Tomato Sauce added to cooked ground beef or deer (I prefer to use ground round or sirloin, the leaner the better.) Mix with cooked penne pasta while hot and add cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Stir and serve with broiled, buttered Texas toast. Let the family serve themselves out of the pot off the stove.

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped

  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 2 pounds of Italian sausage and/or ground round

  • 1 (28 ounce) can of whole tomatoes

  • 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce

  • 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning salt and black pepper

  • 1 pound of ziti or penne pasta

  • 4-5 cups of shredded mozzarella, divided

  • 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook until softened but not brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove and set aside.

Remove the sausage from the casings and add to skillet (or combine with beef), breaking up the meat to fine crumbles. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned; drain off excess fat. Return the sautéed vegetables to the skillet and using kitchen shears, roughly chop the whole tomatoes in the can. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to the skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes. Remove 2 cups of the sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt. Cook the pasta just to al dente according to package directions; drain. Add the pasta to the remaining sauce and combine well. Taste, add salt and pepper, and adjust seasoning as needed.

In a large oblong baking dish, add half of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle top with 1 ½ cups of the shredded mozzarella. Then sprinkle ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of that. Dot the top with 1 cup of the reserved tomato sauce mixture. Continue layers adding the remaining pasta mixture, top with another 1 ½ cups of the shredded mozzarella (reserving the remaining cup), sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of that. The casserole will be well to the top of your dish. Press down a little on the top and then dot the top with the remaining cup of the reserved tomato sauce mixture.

Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and place the dish on a baking sheet as insurance for any spillover. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover, sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

Million Dollar Spaghetti

350 F

This is one of those easy, but looks difficult recipes. They often fall into the "dump" category. Green bean casserole falls into this "dump" category. It takes no culinary skill. Same for Jiffy Corn casserole. Great to take to a gathering. Dump ingredients into a bowl, stir, dump into a casserole, bake, serve. This recipe is kind of a spaghetti "lasagna". The same basic components, but easier to prepare and goes over well at a gathering.

  • 1 lb of ground beef

  • 1 jar of spaghetti sauce

  • 8 oz of cream cheese

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 lb cottage cheese (equals 1 cup)

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

  • 1 (16 oz.) pkg spaghetti

  • Grated cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350°. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese until well blended. Brown your hamburger and when done, drain well. Combine the hamburger with your spaghetti sauce. Boil your spaghetti noodles until al dente (firm). Drain and set aside until ready to assemble.

Put a few slices of butter into a 9" ×13" pan then pour half of your spaghetti noodles on top. Take your cream cheese mixture and pour on top of the noodles. Spread well over noodles.

Pour the rest of the noodles on top of the cream cheese mixture. Put a few more slices of butter on top of the noodles. Pour your spaghetti and meat sauce on top of your noodles.

Put into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the desired amount of grated cheese on top and return to the oven for 15 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Serve.

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