I looked through my recipes for some quick and easy pasta ideas. We are going to have our first chilly night (finally) so a nice steaming hot dish of pasta with lovely sauce and a dusting of cheese sounds so appealing.

Peppered Pasta Shells

1/2 pound medium pasta shells
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sour cream (or light or heavy cream)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
(1 tablespoon chopped chives or scallion tops)
(1 tablespoon mixed chopped herbs such as basil, thyme, and parsley)

Cook the pasta in salted water about 10 minutes, until just done. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Put the butter, reserved water, salt, and pepper in the pot and heat until the butter melts. Stir in the sour cream, pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with the optional fresh ingredients. Makes 4 servings.

Spaghetti with Onions

3 pounds yellow onions, sliced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Sauté the sliced onions in the olive oil with the crush pepper on a high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The onions should start to become transparent. Cover tightly, lower the heat, and cook 30 minutes, letting the onions melt down. Stir occasionally to keep them from burning. Some of the onions will become glazed and develop a deep caramel color. If there is not enough liquid, you may add a tablespoon or two of the pasta cooking water. Undercook the spaghetti slightly and mix with the onion sauce, tossing it in the pot over a warm range. Serve with Parmesan cheese. If prepared in a pressure cooker, will make a thick, syrupy sauce. Makes about 4 servings.

Macaroni with Ham Milan Style

1 cup cooked ham, cut in thin strips
1/2 lb macaroni
3 quarts boiling salted water
1 cup red wine
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup tomato juice
1 4 ounce can sliced mushrooms, or fresh ones sauteed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 tablespoons grated cheese

Boil macaroni until al dente, about 10 minutes. Place wine, tomato sauce, tomato juice, ham, mushrooms, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes. Add drained macaroni. Cook another 10 minutes. Correct seasoning. Serve topped with butter sprinkled with cheese.