Whole Grain Pasta with Turkey and Spinach Ragu

This is a relatively new recipe for me but one that I am really loving. It is super healthy but still tastes hearty and delicious!


It makes great leftovers too! Enjoy!!




Ingredients:

3 cups whole grain pasta, such as Barilla or Ronzoni (use you favorite shape, I used bowties)
Cooking spray (such as PAM)
1lb extra lean ground turkey, 99% fat free
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 cup of chopped portabella mushrooms
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 bag of baby spinach
1 jar of favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a large pot of water over medium high. Once it starts to boil, add some salt and the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and spray generously with cooking spray.

Once pan is hot, add onion, bell pepper and saute for approximately 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey, garlic and Italian seasonings. Continue to saute until turkey is no longer pink and cooked through.

Add chopped mushrooms, spinach and sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once pasta and turkey sauce are both cooked, combine and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Pasta and Sausage alla Lasagna

A while back I was cleaning out some closets when I came across a binder filled with cutouts of recipes from magazines I had tried or planned to try. While flipping through it, I found this recipe for "Pasta alla Lasagna". I had made this dish before but had completely forgotten about it. I was so excited to find it again because it's so good and easy (a Chef Mommy theme you might have noticed :)...perfect weeknight food the entire family will love!


Think of this hearty dish as lasagna without the assembly; it contains the same ingredients but is a lot easier to put together.


I love the ricotta mixture on the side! Perfect, built-in portion control!!


Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days. Just be sure to store the ricotta mixture and sauced pasta separately.

Ingredients:
2 cups chunky pasta (I used rotini)
1 (2 1/2 ounce) sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup reduced-sodium marinara
1/2 part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 Italian parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Pepper

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package instructions; drain and place in a serving bowl. Keep warm.

Heat a non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Drain off any fat and add sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan and pepper in a small bowl.

To assemble, toss the pasta with the sausage and sauce. Top each serving with a dollop of the ricotta mixture.

Makes 4 servings
Per Serving (1 cup pasta w/ sauce + 1 dollop of ricotta mixture)
258 Cal
8g Fat
323 mg. Sodium
3 g Fiber
13 g. Protein

Source: Weight Watchers Magazine

Easy Peasy Ham Mac and Cheesey

My kids are mac and cheese FANATICS, and they inspired me to come up with this kid-friendly, easy and tasty recipe.

Now, personally, I prefer a baked mac and cheese. However, for this recipe I decided that stove top was the way to go. This way all of the cheese is ooey-gooey and it cooks in much less time...a very important thing with too little hungry ones.

I used Wisconsin Swiss and Wisconsin Cheddar in this recipe along with cubed cooked ham (that I just picked up from my deli) and some frozen peas for color and too sneak in some veggies (hee, hee). The result....a perfect, kid-friendly meal that any grown-up will love too! Both of the kids really loved this dinner and requested it for lunch the next day. My son even exclaimed that it was the BEST mac and cheese he ever had! Endorsed by an expert!


Ingredients:

1 pound mini fusilli pasta (or you may use mini penne or elbow macaroni)
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) Wisconsin Swiss Cheese, shredded
3 cups (12 ounces) Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup cooked ham, diced
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until well blended. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the milk; stir well. Add in the cheeses, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir until smooth, hot and thickened. Stir in the ham, peas and cooked/drained pasta. Stir well until heated through.

Source: Chef Mommy, developed for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. I received compensation to create this recipe.

Turkey Taco Mac Light!

Cooking light doesn't have to mean searching out all new, low-fat recipes. It's usually as simple as making a few substitutions to favorite recipes. This dish is just the lightened up version of the super yummy turkey taco mac.

This dish is basically a homemade hamburger helper and naturally a huge hit with everyone. It already started with lean ground turkey, so all I did is use reduced fat cheeses and sour cream. You could make this lighter by using fat free cheese and sour cream but I'm not a big fan of completely fat free foods. It seems the you get more chemicals than actual food with those, KWIM?

This recipe will yield a good amount but it's ok, because this also makes for excellent leftovers.

Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. dry pasta shapes (I used mini penne)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
2-4 tbsp. taco seasoning or 1 envelope of taco seasoning
3 oz. 1/3 fat cream cheese
½ cup light sour cream
1/2 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar-jack
Cilantro or parsley chopped (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Mix in the diced tomatoes,corn and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese,half the cheddar cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.

Remove from the heat and top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle cilantro or parsley on top if desired.

Click HERE to calculate nutritional info for this dish.

Penne Rosa

This is Pioneer Woman's recipe for pasta with a tomato-cream sauce but I renamed it because I used penne and....and well, I like how "Penne Rosa" sounds:)

This is a simple and delicious sauce. Give it a try next week....you will love it! Your kids will love it, your husband will love it...your hips, well not so much :-)


I will defintily be making this again soon and may add some grilled chicken too--so yummy!!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
1 cup Heavy Cream
Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
Fresh Basil, Chopped
1-½ pound Penne

Direction:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Source: Pioneer Woman

Ina's Mac and Cheese

This week my kids went back to school-----YAY!!! A lot of my friends expressed feeling sad and even shed a few tears but for me, I was just happy and excited for all of us. After a long and somewhat stressful summer, I couldn't wait for the routine of school to start again. It's a big year too.... my son started kindergarten and daughter started preschool.

We like to celebrate the first day of school, so I let my son pick dinner Tuesday night (his first day) and I made cupcakes for Thursday night (my daughter's first day).

Here he is with the school mascot...Go Mighty Mustangs!!! -LOL

My son wanted mac and cheese...no big surprise :) Not only does he love it but he also wanted a soft food because he has a very loose tooth (his first). I decided on this classic recipe from Ina Graten that I bookmarked and had wanted to try for a while.

Now, I love Ina but I was a bit disappointed with this recipe. The nutmeg and pepper flavors were just too strong for me. I also thought the addition of Gruyere cheese mellowed out the sharp cheddar flavor a little too much. Let it be noted though that this "grown-up" tasting dish was loved by both my kids. This recipe also gets rave reviews on the Food Network site, so you might want to give it a try too.



Ingredients:

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small) I didn't have any on hand.
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Source: Ina Graten

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

Houston, we have a problem...my camera is broken :(

I'm not sure what happened exactly. My DSLR now has a small piece that chipped on the camera's body where the lens attaches. So, no pretty food pics (aka "food porn") in the meantime...boohoo

Luckily, I did manage to get these pictures before the camera accident. I found this recipe on Woman's Day and it's a really good one!



This simple pasta salad is what summer is all about. Ripe tomatoes,fresh basil, a little red onion, plus your favorite pasta all tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing...YUM!! This makes a great side for a picnic lunch or other casual cook-out meal.

I had this with a simple turkey and cheese sandwich. I think next time, I'll add cubed grilled chicken or even mini fresh mozzarella balls and make it a compete meal by itself.


INGREDIENTS
3 large ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb), coarsely chopped (3 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
12 oz fusilli pasta (or your favorite pasta)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

PREPARATION
1. Put tomatoes, onion, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl; toss. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices, tossing occasionally.

2. Cook pasta as package directs. Drain and add to bowl with tomatoes; lightly toss. Let come to room temperature. Add basil; toss. Serve or refrigerate up to 1 day.

Source: Woman's Day

Shrimp and Asparagus Penne

Talk about quick dinner...this one is done in under 20 minutes...promise!

I whipped this up for dinner tonight. A day that was busy and fun but also tiring (those things always go hand in hand though, right?). I didn't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen tonight and this dish fit the bill perfectly.

Check out those plump shrimp...my husband loves, loves shrimp!!

This recipe is basically a simple shrimp scampi dish with fresh, seasonal asparagus added in. I personally love asparagus and think it works really well in this dish, both visually and taste wise. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. penne
2 cups asparagus, cut into 3 inch pieces (ends removed)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
3/4 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3-4 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
1-2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the asparagus to the pot for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30-45 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the white wine and let simmer for 1 minute. Add the shrimp to the pan and season with the salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
As soon as the pasta and asparagus are cooked, drain and add to the pan with the shrimp. Return the pan to the heat, add grated Parmesan cheese and toss till all ingredients are combined. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.

Source: Chef Mommy

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

I love lasagna...but it always takes so long to make. After boiling the noodles, browning the meat, simmering the sauce, mixing up the cheeses, assembling it all, then baking, you are looking at about 2 hours of work. I don't know anyone who has that much time during the week to make dinner (I certainly don't). That is why these lasagna rolls from Gina appealed to me so much. After quickly glancing through the list of ingredients and directions, I knew this was very doable for a weekday dinner.

What I didn't expect was for these rolls to taste as good as they did. This recipe consists of just a few simple ingredients and I was afraid it would taste a little bland. However, this was not the case at all. It was really tasty, not to mention healthy (hello spinach!). Plus, since they are rolls, you have built in portion control and who doesn't love that?

Right out of the oven, all hot and gooey!


All you need is a simple side salad and you are good to go.


Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked (I only made/used 6)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese (I like Polly-o)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper
32 oz tomato sauce
9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

WW POINTS: 4 (1 roll)

Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Shrimp Lasagna Rolls

I decided to make these shrimp lasagna rolls early in the day this week so I could actually get a chance to photograph them. I think I have mentioned it before but I try to get a decent picture of the things I cook and in order to do that I need light...lots of natural light! However in winter time I lose it by 4PM:(

I was happy to be able to get a good shot of these but honestly didn't get to eat much of it myself. I had been cooking all day, plus snacking on bread and butter the entire afternoon...can anyone else say no to fresh french bread and soft butter...I sure can't. Well, by the time dinner rolled around, I was actually not hungry and only had 2 bites of this. However, my husband had 3 rolls and said they were very good. I added a simple salad which seemed to work perfectly to round out this meal.

Ingredients
1 lb lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (15 oz) containers whole-milk ricotta (I used part-skim)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade (I used homemade)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (I used 2% pre-shredded)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and saute until shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a bowl with 2 cups ricotta cheese, the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with remaining 1 cup ricotta and stir to combine.

To make lasagna, cover the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish with 1 cup marinara mixture. Lay 4 noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup shrimp mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 12 lasagna rolls.

Source: Giada de Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Here is a fresh, healthy and easy tomato sauce that is sure to be a winner with everyone in your family. In fact, my husband prefers this sauce to heavier tomato and bolognese sauces. It combines fresh tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, fresh basil, onion and garlic....so simple...so good!

I didn't calculate Weight Watchers points for this sauce, however, I know it is very light. Any points would come from the small amount of olive oil, which adds a negligible amount of (good) fat. This sauce is a summer time staple for us because of the abundant amount of ripe tomatoes available. However, it is so good and easy that I find myself making it year round.

One note, after it is done cooking, I often puree it a bit with an immersion blender. You do not have to do this step at all but my kids prefer a less chunky sauce.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 chopped ripe tomatoes, seeded and skinless *(see note below)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano, or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

thin spaghetti (or pasta of your choice)
fresh chopped basil
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

*To easily remove skin from a fresh tomato simply cut an "x" in the bottom of each tomato. Then plunge the tomato into boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute and remove. Rinse tomatoes under cold water or plunge into an ice bath. The skins will come off easily.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute, uncovered, until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the fresh tomatoes,diced tomatoes, basil, oregano,bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper, then bring to a gently boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until the desired consistency is reached. Cook the pasta according to package directions in the meantime. Stir the sauce occasionally and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve on top of pasta and sprinkle fresh basil and Parmesan cheese on top.

If not using sauce immediately, transfer to a container and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Swedish Meatballs

I made these meatballs last week for dinner. They were a nice change from the traditional Italian meatballs and tomato sauce that I usually make (but have still not blogged about). The recipe comes from the blog, My Kitchen Cafe. I've gotten several great recipes from there and this one is no exception. We all enjoyed this dinner!

Melanie (from My Kitchen Cafe) calls this recipe "meatballs in cream sauce" but I think they are basically Swedish meatballs. I haven't had Swedish meatballs too many times, so please correct me if the recipe is missing some key ingredient. Anyway, I did follow Melanie's advice about using only one cup of broth if you like a thicker sauce. I used just a little more than one cup and I thought the consistency of the sauce was great. So, if you are looking for a new meatball recipe, try this one. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

I served these up with some simple steamed carrots.


Ingredients

Meatballs:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 T. ketchup
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3 T. flour

Cream Sauce:
2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
14 oz. can chicken broth (If you want your sauce thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup)
2/3 cup milk
2 T. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn't thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles (I used egg noodles and loved the result!).

Source: My Kitchen Cafe blog

Lasagna

It seems like everyone has that tried and true basic lasagna recipe...here is mine. It's loosely based on the recipe that is on the back of the San Giorgio lasagna box. It's a classic lasagna, with ground beef, mozzarella and ricotta...no funky ingredients here. I've been making this version for years and it always comes out great.

I actually made it for dinner this week, but in general I leave lasagna making to the weekends when I have the time. My husband was not too happy about me making this on a Tuesday night...until he ate it of course. Then he was OK with the fact that dinner was over an hour late. It was worth the extra trouble for me b/c it also meant plenty of leftovers and less cooking the next day. Lasagna is one of my favorite leftover foods!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
12 lasagna noodles (I make 2-3 extra in case some break)
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (or 3 cups homemade)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook lasagna noodles according to directions on package. Once cooked, lay them out in a single layer on wax paper.

In a skillet over medium heat season ground beef with the Italian seasoning. Brown the meat and drain. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions soften, about 5-8 min. Then add the Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Lower the heat to med-low and cook for 15 minutes.

Combine mozzarella and ricotta cheeses in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, parsley, salt and pepper, then mix until all ingredients are combined.

Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan with 1 cup of the meat sauce or just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 lasagna noodles in the pan with edges overlapping. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture over the noodles and cover with 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce on top; repeat layering. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and some of the reserved mozzarella.

Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Make Ahead Directions: Prepare recipe as directed above but do not bake. Cover with plastic wrap first and then with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 2 months. Before cooking remove plastic wrap. You will need to allow additional baking time for refrigerated and frozen lasagna.

Source: San Girogio and Chef Mommy's Kitchen

Penne a la Betsey

Penne a la Betsey is one of Pioneer Women's most popular dishes and for good reason. This dish is quick and delicious! It's named after her little sister Betsey and features pasta with plump shrimp in a creamy tomato sauce-YUM!

I have made this about half a dozen times since discovering PW"s blog last spring. I really love this dish and the only changes that I make is that I don't chop up the shrimp. I actually like the shrimp bigger and it saves me a step during cooking. Also, I normally do use penne or mini penne but this time I decided to go with bow tie pasta. The bow ties makes this dish look "pretty"...don'tcha think?

Ingredients:

1 lb. penne pasta (or other similar pasta)
2 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. large shrimp
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1 (14.5 oz.) can plain tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
6 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, while water heats and pasta cooks, make the sauce. Melt 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes, until opaque. Remove to a plate to let cool. Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally. While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the shrimp into small, bite-sized pieces. Add the wine (or chicken broth) to the pan and allow to reduce for a few minutes. Chiffonade the basil leaves and set aside. Stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Add shrimp back to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and basil and mix well.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Add the sauce to the pot and stir well to combine. Serve.

Source: Pioneer Woman

4 Cheese Baked Penne

I love to make baked pasta dishes like this for Sunday night dinners. They are always a hit with everyone in my family and it makes for great leftovers on busy Mondays.

This baked penne dish is from Elie Kriger and if you click HERE you can see her make it. Enjoy :)

Ingredients:
1 pound whole-wheat penne
1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (3/4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.

Source: Ellie Krieger, Food Network

Pasta Art

Here is another easy kitchen craft the kids can work on (independently) while you prep and cook dinner.

You should already have all the supplies in your house. Just look through your pantry and grab a bunch of different types of pastas. If you have colored pastas, even better! Then get some glue and construction paper...and let the kids do their thing!

For our pasta art, I found bow ties, mini penne, campanella and wagon wheels.


Supplies Needed
assorted dry pasta
construction paper
Elmer's glue
marker

Directions
Give kids the supplies and have them glue the pasta on the paper to make designs or anyway they want. You can also make a simple picture or even letters and have them trace that with the pasta.

This activity is good for 3 year olds and up.

Baked Mac and 4 Cheeses

You know what?...I really stink at meal planning sometimes. Every Sunday morning, I plan my meals for the entire week. Then later in the day I go to the grocery store for one big food run. However, many times after a day or two of pre-planned meals, I get cravings for something completely different. That's how this mac and cheese dish came about.

Today, I got a craving for mac and cheese. So I started browsing through FoodNetwork.com and found this one by Ellie Krieger. What really appealed to me about her recipe is that she started off the cheese sauce with pureed squash! Sneaking in the veggies...yeah, I'm all about that!

Now, I will admit that this is not my favorite mac and cheese recipe. It tasted a little bland to me. Maybe it's b/c I only used sharp cheddar instead of extra-sharp or the ricotta somehow muted some of the other flavors...I don't really know. However, BOTH of my kids really liked it and happily ate all of their dinner...yes, squash and all:) So, if you are looking for a way to get your kids to eat more veggies, you might want to give this recipe a try.

Click HERE for a video of how to make this dish.


Ingredients
Makes 8 servings (I only made half the recipe)

Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk (I used 2%)
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups) (I used sharp cheddar)
2 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned. Be sure the pasta is not too close to the broiler or it will burn the toppings instead of browning them.

Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce

I ran a local 5K today. I knew was going to need some extra fuel for the run, so I decided to make pasta (yay! for carbs!!) for dinner last night. I found this bolognese sauce by Giada and added that to thin spaghetti. It was simple and tasty. My husband and daughter especially liked it.

I did add a little bit of sugar to the sauce though b/c it was tasting a little too acidic to me after pouring in the crushed tomatoes. I also added a little dry oregano, just because I like a little dry oregano in my pasta sauce :) Overall,it is a good basic recipe. I'm sure I'll be making this again soon, if for nothing other than to see my daughter to this:


My daughter loved it so much, she literally licked her bowl clean!


Here are some pictures from the race. Please scroll down to the bottom for the recipe.

Pre-race self-portrait. It was a great morning for a run.

Beautiful Old Town Alexandria and the Potomac River.

Post-race...Yay! I did it!!

My kids were at the finish line to cheer me on.

Afterwards, it was time for juice boxes and 'nanas!

My son loved the moonbounce and watching the ducks.


Ingredients
1 box of thin spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground chuck beef
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar (not in original recipe)
1/2 tsp. oregano (not in original recipe)
1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chiffonade
8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Directions
In a 6 quart pot, add extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1/2 hour.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to box directions.
Drain the pasta when finished cooking. Add the bolognese sauce on top, sprinkle with a little additional basil and Pecorino Romano.

Veggie Lasagna Rolls

Yesterday, was my son's first day back to preschool. For me, the first day of school is always a special day and I wanted to make a special dinner to celebrate.

I decided I'd make a lasagna. I love lasagna and so does the rest of my family. However, I didn't want to be slaving away in the kitchen trying to assemble and cook everything. After all, this is my son's first year going to school full day and I wanted to spend some quality time with him, hearing all about it.

That's why I decided to make lasagna rolls instead. The recipe comes from the cookbook, Kissing in the Kitchen by Kevin Roberts. I love this recipe b/c it doesn't have a gazillion ingredients and steps. Also, I kept this pretty healthy by using part-skim cheeses and including lots of different veggies in the mix.

The best part was that I got the entire lasagna assembled while my son was at school and my daughter napped. When it was time for dinner, I just pulled it from the fridge and placed it in the oven.

I would make just one minor change next time. I think some homemade or good quality jarred tomato sauce would be great in this dish. However, since I didn't have either, I just used a can of plain tomato sauce. This was still very good though...enjoy!

Before: All assembled and ready for the fridge.

After: Just out of the oven...all hot and bubbly.



Ingredients
5 servings

1 egg
1 pound ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese (divided use) (I used 2% mozzarella)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mixed zucchini and spinach, finely chopped, seasoned and sauteed (I used a mix of broccoli, mushroom, zucchini and carrot)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Garlic salt and pepper, to taste
10 lasagna noodles, cooked
2 cups tomato sauce (divided use)

Directions
I started by finely chopping all the veggies in a food processor. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine egg, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, vegetables and parsley, and mix well. Season with garlic salt and pepper, tasting a little to adjust seasoning.
Lay cooked lasagna noodles out on the counter. Spread a thin layer of the vegetable and cheese mixture evenly over the entire noodle. Repeat with all the noodles. Starting at one end, roll up each noodle. In a 9-by-9-inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 cup of tomato sauce. Lay the rolls in the dish, seam side down.
Pour the remaining tomato sauce on top of the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. (or until hot and bubbly)

Chicken Pastina Bake

Here it is...Giada's famous chicken pastina bake! You've probably already seen this recipe on a handful of other cooking blogs and for good reason. It's tasty and very family friendly. It has chicken, pasta and cheese...who does not like that, right? Even my daughter ate it and she is definitely our picky eater.

This recipe is relatively easy to make but there is some prep work. It bakes for 30 minutes but to keep the entire cooking time under 40 minutes, I do all the prep work earlier in the day.

While my daughter naps, I dice all the veggies and chicken. I even measure out my pasta, fill a pot with water and butter up the baking dish. Then everything goes in the fridge (minus the pot) till it's cooking time.

Here is the video of Giada making this great family friendly dish.

Ingredients

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) I used mini penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice I used about 1/2 can b/c my son does not like tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano I added this, not in original recipe
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.