A change of pace--a dish with no meat in it! I love good Italian food...but sometimes, the love is not returned. The reason--the tomato sauces used in many "Italian" dishes. Though tasty, tomato sauces are also high in acid content. Not the sort of thing to settle a tummy going through a GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Relflux Disease) attack. However, unlike their neighbors in Rome and Sicily, the Northern Italians use very little, if any, tomato-based sauces in their dishes (more cream-based). So, here's a dish that is frugal, filling--and vegetarian-friendly (though not for strict vegans, since it contains cheese).

Ingredients

• 1 box Mostacholli Pasta
• 8 cups shredded mozzerella cheese
• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ lb butter or margerine
• 2 dashs oregano
• 2 dashs garlic powder
• ½ pt sour cream Optional
• 4 ozs white wine

Instructions

Well--let's get this party started!

1) Pour 1.25 gallons of water into cooking pot.
2) Bring water to boil.
3) Open box of mostacholli, pour into water.
4) bring back to boil, then keep it going for ten minutes.

While that's going on--
A) Pour milk into saucepan, bring just to boiling, then cool.
B) Add oregano, white wine, and garlic powder, stir in.
C) Add butter/margerine, let melt into sauce, stir.
D) For an extra kick, add sour cream into sauce if desired.
E) Add shredded cheese until sauce thickens (not too thick, mind you!).

Now to bring it all together--
I) Drain pasta, return to pot.
II) Pour sauce over pasta, stir, and add cheese if desired.
III) Cover pan, allow pasta and sauce to "mingle" for fifteen minutes.
IV) Serve with extra cheese and decent white wine (or white grape juice, for you teetotalers!).
V) Boun Appetito!

Added Saturday, July 24, 2010