Pizza Pasta Bake

I opted to use pizza toppings that we all like, but I’m sure you could substitute your favorites.
I got this recipe from http://stolenmomentscooking.com/pizza-pasta-bake/

It was a hit at our house...next time I'd use more pepperoni.

Pizza Pasta Bake
1 lb. penne rigate or mostacolli, fully cooked and drained
1 c. ricotta cheese
3 c. marinara sauce (homemade or from a jar)
30 slices pepperoni (or more)
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (I used canned, but only because that’s what I had on hand)
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese


1. Combine hot pasta with ricotta cheese and stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Pour into a 13×9 casserole dish.
2. Pour marinara sauce over pasta. Top with pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Add shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted.

CAVATELLI WITH BREADCRUMBS, PANCETTA AND CAULIFLOWER

CAVATELLI WITH BREADCRUMBS, PANCETTA AND CAULIFLOWER

Cavatelli con Pancetta e Cavolfiore

Makes 6 servings

Simply delicious........

……….

What you’ll need:

Salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Three ¼-inch slices pancetta (about 8 ounces), cut into 1 x ¼ x ¼-inch sticks (about 1 ½ cups)
1 pound dried cavatelli, cavatappi or shells
2 medium onions, diced ½ inch (about 2 cups)
½ head cauliflower, stalks removed, florets cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
Crushed red pepper
1 ½ cups hot chicken stock
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup fine dry breadcrumbs, or as needed

……….

What to do:

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered some of it s fat and is lightly browned but still soft in the center, about 4 minutes. Don’t overcook the pancetta.

Stir the cavatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.

Stir the onion into the skillet and cook until barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is wilted and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Season lightly with salt and a little crushed red pepper.

Pour the chicken stock into the skillet, bring to a boil and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by about one-half, about 5 minutes.

If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing and stirring to coat the pasta. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Stir the breadcrumbs, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pot. Cook, stirring and tossing the pasta until the sauce is lightly thickened. Serve at once.

Baked Zitilicious

This is fast & easy!!! and SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD.

This Makes enough for about 2 casserole dishes (8-10 pple) (bake one and freeze or refridgerate another).

1 - 16 oz package dry ziti pasta (or penne)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 white onion chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)
2 28 oz jars spaghetti sauce ( I used HUNTS 1 can marinara sauce and 1 can sauce with italian sausage flavor) * you probably wont use all of the sauce*
*for the cheese, you can choose how much you want to add and what kind-the more the better :)**
6 oz provolone cheese
6 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
1 bag of Shredded italian cheese mixture.

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
Basil seasoning

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 boxes pasta & cook until "al dente" dont let it get mushy.
2. In skillet Brown the beef, Add onions, garlic & saute until tender. Drain off fat. Add about 1/2 of the Spaghetti sauce to beef (save rest for later). Simmer 15 minutes.
3. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix sour cream and pasta noodles in a large bowl.
5. In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place a level of pasta on bottom of pan. Top with Meat mixture. Top with a single layer of Provolone, mozzarella, & other cheeses you want to add.
6. Pour a small layer of more spaghetti sauce on top of cheese. Sprinkle parmesean cheese on top of that & sprinkle basil lightly around the top of the entire pan.
7. REPEAT IN ANOTHER PAN IF YOU HAVE EXTRA.
8. Bake covered for 20 minutes & remove foil and bake another 10-20 minutes until bubbly & heated through.

Mexican Manicotti

I adapted this recipe from Simplifysupper.com, which gives you a customizable calendar every month of different recipes (no recipe is repeated) as well as shopping lists. :)

1 pound ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 can refried beans
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 package jumbo shells (I used 15)
1 can enchilada sauce, 10 ounce size
8 oz Mexican style cheese, shredded

Cook ground beef with onion. Boil jumbo shells according to package directions. In a bowl, combine cooked beef, refried beans, chili powder, oregano and 1/2 the cheese. Spoon into cooked shells. Arrange shells in the bottom of a 8*8 baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. You can also top with diced green onions, sour cream, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, etc. Bake additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

The girls both asked for seconds, which means this recipe is a keeper.

Mac N cheese

A friend made this for us after our baby was born- and my kidds loved it. Thought I'd share it!

Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 12 (You can easily divide this recipe in half: Use a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.)
1 stick butter, plus more to grease dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼- ½ ” pieces
5 ½ c. milk
½ cups flour
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 ½ c.grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 18 oz.)
1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (about 5 oz.)
1 pound elbow macaroni=5-6 c.raw macaroniHeat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3 qt. casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 TBS. butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set bread crumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 TBS. butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2-3 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/1/2 cups cheddar cheese, ¼ c. Pecorino Romano, and bread crumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 mins. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 mins.; serve hot.

Chicken Florentine

**I got this recipe from another recipe blog: http://www.bloggingitswhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/. It was really tasty and very easy. Ahhh...I love easy.

Chicken Florentine
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 jar Classico Traditional Sweet Basil spaghetti sauce

2 cups cream (I substituted with whole milk and cut it down to 1 c.)

1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

grated Parmesan cheese

1 box/pkg of your favorite noodle

Garlic salt & pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 375*. Place chicken breasts in Ziploc bag and bang the heck out of them with a rolling pin to flatten them ... unless you have a cool meat tenderizer, in which case, I recommend one of those too. Place flattened chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle chicken liberally (fancy word for a lot) with garlic salt and pepper.In a separate dish, combine sauce, cream, and spinach. If you can't find the Classico sauce, just use your favorite spaghetti sauce. No sweat. Pour entire mixture over the chicken, which will be crammed into the 9x13 baking dish. Don't stress because the chicken is squished. It's okay. Once you've poured the sauce over the chicken and finished stressing about how the chicken is squished in the pan, bake it uncovered at 375* for about 35 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, stir the sauce around as best as you can to incorporate everything again, and then dump your grated cheese all over the top and allow the cheese to melt before serving. Serve over your favorite noodle. It's stupid easy, but is tastes like it is way more difficult to make. Bonus.

Southwestern Pasta Bake

An Italian-style dish with a southwestern flavor. My kids devoured it.


Ingredients

1 box Pene pasta
1 lb hamburger, browned
½ onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
8oz ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded cheese (I use the pre-done mexican mix)


1) Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat in pan with onion, drain. I added a little bit of the SouthWestern seasoning by Pampered Chef. You could add some taco seasoning or nothing. :D
2) Cook pasta according to package directions.
3) Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, salsa and ricotta cheese to meat and onion mix in skillet. Toss with pasta.
4) Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Add mixture to pan and sprinkle with cheese.
5) Bake in oven about 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted.


You don’t have to add the ricotta, I did and I loved it! Served our family of 4 and lots of leftovers for my lunch.

Tomato-Beef-Macaroni Soup

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1/4 C butter
2-4 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 - 2 Qt tomato juice
2 t salt
pepper
1 1/2 T brown sugar
1/4 t seasoning salt
1/4 t parsley
1/3 c diced onion
1/2 lb elbow macaroni, cooked

Mix all soup ingredients except macaroni. Add enough tomatoes and tomato juice to make a soup that has the consistency you want. Simmer and add seasonings to taste. Add cooked macaroni. Heat through. Serve with grated cheddar.

Lasagna

Another freezer-friendly meal.

1 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 qt. Spaghetti sauce
6-10 fresh lasagna noodles (I use the boxed kind, but I'm sure fresh would taste even better)
1 pt. cottage cheese
1/2 c. freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 T. chives
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1 lb. mozzarella cheese

Brown & drain sausage. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer. Boil and dry lasagna noodles. Drain cottage cheese and add egg, chives, and grated parmesan. Butter a glass dish and put small amount of meat mixture in the bottom to coat. Place 1 layer of noodles then 1/2 of the sauce. Layer all of the cottage cheese mixture. Next, put on the second layer of noodles and then the rest of the sauce. Top with mozzarella and freshly shredded parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

*I don't cook my noodles. I prepare this the night before and then refigerate (overnight) or freeze it. The noodles will soften in the sauce.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini

1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.

MEANWHILE, cook tomatoes in large skillet on medium heat 5 min. Add cream cheese and seasoning; cook 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.

DRAIN pasta mixture. Add to tomato mixture in skillet; mix lightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti Pie

My friend Kristy emailed me this recipe to post. She says it's a great one, especially for people with kids, since kids love it!

Spaghetti Pie

1/2 lb dry spaghetti noodles
2 eggs
1 cup finely shredded or grated parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozarella
1 cup marinara sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Boil water and cook the spaghetti noodles; drain and rinse noodles.

In a large bowl, mix the hot noodles with 2 tbsp olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the 2 eggs with about 1/3 cup parmesan; add to large bowl with noodles and olive oil. Mix all ingredients so that noodles are coated with egg/cheese mixture.

Form spaghetti noodles into a "crust" in a greased 10" pie plate or round casserole dish. Spread ricotta over the noodles, leaving a small margin around the edges without cheese. Pour marinara sauce over the ricotta.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and add mozarella to the top. Cook another 5 five minutes, or until mozarella is melted. Remove from oven, and add remainder of parmesan to top. Let sit and cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into "slices".

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

Every time I make this, I wonder why I don't make it more often! It's easy and good!

1 egg
½ c. Italian style bread crumbs
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced (making 4 total)
2 jars of your favorite Marinara sauce (We like Bertoli Tomato & Basil)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
8-12 oz. spaghetti or linguine, cooked

Preheat oven to 400. Beat egg in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each breast in egg, then into the bread crumbs to coat. Set on a baking pan, lined with aluminum foil and greased with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for about 10-15 minutes-turning over halfway through. Pour marinara sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place chicken in dish and top with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375-400 until cheese completely melts and browns, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Transfer a portion of pasta to each plate. Place sauce and chicken on top of pasta and serve. Serves 4.