Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Bottom Layer
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 Tbs. sugar
Mix butter and sugar together. Stir in pretzels. Pat out into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and set aside.

Middle Layer
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 cup sugar
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar. Gently stir in the cool whip. Spread over the cooled pretzel layer.

Top Layer
3 cups boiling water
1 large pkg. raspberry Jello
16-20 oz. frozen raspberries
Stir Jello and water together until dissolved. Add frozen raspberries. Stir until the raspberries are separated and soft. Pour gently onto the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Salmon Macaroni Salad

1/2 pound (about 2 cups) macaroni pasta
Salt
2 (7-ounce) cans salmon
1/2 cup mayonnaise (plus more to taste or for added smoothness)
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped shallots, red onions, or green onions (with onion greens)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
2 stalks celery, chopped
Tabasco to taste (we used about 10 drops)
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of water (2 quarts) to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the dry macaroni pasta and cook, uncovered, in a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is al dente (slightly firm). Remove from heat, drain, rinse briefly in cold water (macaroni should be still warm after rinsing) and drain again.

In a large bowl mix the salmon, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the shallots, parsley, dill, and celery.

Mix in the cooked macaroni while it is still warm. Add Tabasco and freshly ground pepper to taste. As the macaroni absorbs the mayonnaise, you may need to add some water to the salad to keep it from being dry. Adjust seasonings.

Chill before serving. Serves 4.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

This Cooking Light recipe turned out looking just like the picture and was really good. It is a nice variation from the regular hamburger pasta dish. I substituted Asiago cheese for Parmesan because it was cheaper. When you bake pasta I think it helps to boil it a little longer (past al dente) so it doesn't get dried out in the oven. One of the reviews on the site where I found it recommends adding 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp sugar to sauce just before combining with pasta. That sounds good to me--I'll try it next time!

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.