Zucchini Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tbls)
6 small Zucchini, thinly sliced
6 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 large clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
4 leaves basil, chopped
1 cup pre-shredded cheddar and Monterey mix cheese
1 pkg spaghetti, cooked to pkg directions
Parmesan cheese for the table

Preheat a large pan over medium heat, coat bottom with olive oil, add zucchini, tomatoes and Italian seasonings, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and basil and simmer 5 more minutes, turn off heat and stir in cheese. Stir in spaghetti and serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.

Zuppa Tuscana

Like you get at the Olive Garden.
Makes: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS

* 1 lb ground Italian sausage
* 1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
* 1 large diced white onion
* 4 Tbsp bacon pieces
* 2 tsp garlic puree
* 10 cups water
* 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
* 1/4 of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage.
7. Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

**I thought for sure Lindy would have this recipe on our blog and was very surprised when it wasn't. So, whala! It got me busy adding some recipes! =)

Deconstructed Lasagna

Ingredients

1 pound fusilli Noodles
2 Tbs olive oil
1 pound lean ground sirloin (beef)
1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
1 cup beef broth
1 large can diced or crushed tomatoes with basil
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tub ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Instructions

Cook pasta to package directions, drain.

In a large saute pan brown ground beef in olive oil for about 5 minutes, add onions, carrots and garlic cook 5 more minutes. Add beef broth and tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in noodles and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and heat through for 5 minutes.

Mix ricotta cheese with Italian seasoning in a small bowl.

Serve 1 small scoop ricotta on plate and put lasagna mixture over it and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve

I made this a bit different than RR did. I didn't use fresh basil or fresh Parsley and she did. It still turned out very yummy.

Neapolitan Baked Ziti

From Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Ingredients

* 1 pound ziti with lines (I used smooth)
* 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
* 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (I used a tomato/basil jarred sauce in place of the tomatoes and basil)
* 4 to 5 leaves basil, torn
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
* Freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 large ball fresh mozzarella, diced
* 1/4 cup (a handful) grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Yields: 4-6 servings
Preparation

Preheat oven 400°F.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to boil to cook the ziti. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook just shy of al dente. Drain thoroughly.

While the water is coming up to a boil, start the red sauce: Place a medium-size saucepot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring every now and then until the onions start to get tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and smash them up into small pieces with a potato masher or with the back of a spoon. Add the basil and season with some salt and pepper. Bring up to a bubble and simmer for 15 minutes.

Once you have the red sauce working, make the white sauce: Place a medium-size saucepot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the milk, add the bay leaf and season with some salt, pepper and a couple of grates of nutmeg. Bring up to a bubble, turn the heat down to low and gently simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Combine the cooked ziti with the red sauce in the pot the pasta was cooked in and transfer everything to a baking dish. Top with the white sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and grated Parmigiano over the top, ( I layered it) transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Lindy's Crock Pot Ravioli Soup

Ingredients

1 Pound Ground Sirloin or very lean ground beef

1 can tomato paste

1 jar pasta sauce…your favorite brand

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups beef stock

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can cannelloni beans (white kidney beans), drained

1 pound small or large cheese ravioli, frozen or fresh

Prepare

Brown ground beef in olive oil, when done stir in tomato paste and place in crock pot

Add pasta sauce, beans and beef broth and stir.

Cook on low for 6 hours and high for 4 hours. During last half hour, put ravioli in, stir and let simmer for ½ hour.

Serve with crusty bread and top with grated Parmesan cheese

Bolognese Sauce with Thick Pasta

Adapted from Rachael Ray's Recipe...I made a few changes. She doesn't mind :)

Rachael says to Double this recipe and freeze the other half for a quick meal when you need it.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced small
2 pounds ground lean hamburger
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, shredded
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
Salt & Pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/4 cup tomato paste
5 cups beef stock
1 pound of thick pasta like papperadelle (I found this at Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped for topping

Preparation

In a large pot heat olive oil over med-high heat, then add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve.

Add the hamburger to the pan the bacon was cooked in and brown well, about 10 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and cook, stirring until soft, 4-5 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, allspice, bay leaves and thyme and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the reserved bacon back into the pan and stir in the tomato paste. Cook 3-4 minutes to caramelize. Add in 2 cups of the beef stock and scrape the tasty stuff off the bottom of the pan (wooden spoon). Cook until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the rest of the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer until the sauce is thickened. About 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours stirring occasionally to keep sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This could be put in a crock pot at this stage and cook on low for 5 hours.

Cook pasta according to package, drain, reserving one cup of pasta water, and add back to pan along with reserved pasta water and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 the sauce (reserving the other half to pour over top) and toss well to coat.

Serve the pasta on shallow dishes. top with additional sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese.

Rachael used red wine for two cups of the beef stock. She also put in a cup of heavy cream to the sauce at the end but I decided to keep the calories lower by not adding the cream. The alcohol in the wine cooks off and does leave a great flavor but I like to use non-alcoholic wine.

Caprese-Stuffed Meatballs with Tomato-Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

* 5 to 6 slices of bread, torn up
* 3/4 cup milk (eyeball it)
* 1 pound ground sirloin
* 1 pound ground veal (I use all Ground Sirloin)
* 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
* A small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
* 1 teaspoon allspice
* 1 egg
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 4 cherry tomatoes, any stems removed
* 4 bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), look for ones that are about the size of a cherry tomato. If they are bigger, cut them in half
* 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling, divided
* 1 28-ounce cans San Marzano plum tomatoes
* 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto (eyeball it)
* Zest of 1 lemon, if using store-bought pesto
* A loaf of crusty bread

Yields: 4 servings
Preparation

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Place the torn bread in a small bowl with the milk (make sure all the bread is submerged) and reserve.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, garlic, parsley, grated Parmigiano, allspice, egg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out the excess milk from the soaking bread (it should be loose and in small pieces) and add it to the meat mixture. Mix everything with your hands to combine.

Divide the meatball mixture in half, and score each half into eight sections with the back of your hand. Take one of the portions of the meatball mix and slightly flatten it out in your hand. Place a cherry tomato in the center and evenly wrap the meat around the tomato, completely encasing it in the meat.

Transfer the stuffed meatball to a baking sheet, using one half of the baking sheet for the tomato ones and the other for the bocconcini ones so you can keep track of which is stuffed with what. Repeat the processes until the rest of the tomatoes and bocconcini have all been rolled in a portion of the meatball mixture. Drizzle the stuffed meatballs with some EVOO, transfer to the oven and roast 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

While the meatballs are cooking, place a saucepot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the canned tomatoes and break them up with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Add a little salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and simmer while the meatballs are cooking.

Once the meatballs are ready, remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the pesto. If you are using store-bought pesto, add in the lemon zest. Transfer all of the sauce into a serving dish and nestle all of the meatballs into the sauce, keeping the cherry tomato-stuffed ones on one side and the bocconcini-stuffed ones on the other. Serve with some sliced crusty bread alongside.

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