Baked Ziti for a Crowd

This is a delicious recipe merging sweet, savory and a little bit of spice.  I have adapted it from the Church Mouse blog.



Baked Ziti for a Crowd

Ingredients:
2lbs pasta (ziti or rotini)
6 c. Marinara sauce (I used and loved Rao’s)
1 lb ground Italian sausage (add another 1lb if serving a lot)-this made the dish!!
6 c. shredded Mozzarella, divided
2lb ricotta cheese
1TB dried basil
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4c grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.  Cook time:40 minutes

1.  Cook pasta according to package.  In another pan, brown the sausage.
2. Drain pasta and layer 1/2 of it on a sprayed baking dish.  I used a roasting pan for extra size and it was perfect.
3.  After the meat has browned, add the pasta sauce in the pot to warm up.
4.  Layer over the noodles.
5.  In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese (2lbs), mozzarella cheese (2 c), basil (1 TB), salt (1tsp), pepper (1/2 tsp) and Parmesan cheese (1/4 c).
6.  Drop by spoonfuls on top of meat and sauce mixture.
7.  Layer remaining pasta on top.  Cover with the remaining cheese.
8.  Put a layer of foil over.
9.  Bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake additional 5-10 minutes.

Easy Peasy Spaghetti Sauce

QUICK & EASY SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 small can of tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tsp of Olive Oil
2 cups or more of water
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp of sweetener (I used Truvia)
1 tsp of Oregano

Directions:

Chop your garlic. Heat a pan with 1 tsp of olive oil. Saute the garlic in the oil. Add your tomato paste. Mix in your spices, salt and sweetener. Add water. Turn heat to low and simmer for at least 15 minutes or longer. 

KT's Healthy Minestrone and Bean Soup

• • 1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 medium tomatoes or 1 can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • 2 c. of homemade veggie broth
  • 3 c. baby spinach (optional)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 to 3 minced garlic cloves
  • Dash of Chili Powder
  • Dash of cumin powder
  • S&P to taste
  • Small amt of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 
    
  • Optional:
  • I have added zucchini, summer squash and cooked quinoa to this recipe.

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Heat EVOO in pot; add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Be careful that the garlic doesn't burn. If adding the zucchini & squash..add now, to heat up and cook a bit.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the flavors start to come together.
  4. Add more spices if needed. **I always add s&;p right before
  5. eating

Alfredo Sauce

*Fattening!  But so good!

1/2 c. butter
1 8oz cream cheese
2 tsp. garlic powder (I used real garlic about 1 tsp)
2 cups milk (I only used 1 1/2 cups)
6 oz parmesan cheese (I only used 4 oz)
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat.    Add the fresh garlic and cook up for a few minutes.

Add cream cheese, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. 

Stir in Parmesan and pepper. 

Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

allrecipes.com but changes were made

Easiest Crock pot Lasagna EVAH!

1 jar spaghetti sauce (24oz). You can always make your own, but we are going for the easiest lasagna evah!

1/4 c. water

1 container of cottage cheese (16oz) or ricotta cheese

1 box of lasagna noodles

1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Spray the crock pot with cooking spray.

2. Mix the water and sauce together. Put some sauce at the bottom of the crock, so the noodles won't burn.

3. Layer: Put uncooked lasagna noodles on top. ( I usually have one noodle in the middle and 1/2 pieces on the side.)

Cottage cheese, sauce, lasagna noodle, cottage cheese, sauce, mozzarella cheese

4. Cook for 4-6 hours. I have made it for longer (8), but it ended up burning around the edges.

*If you have a chance to be home when making it the first time, you can see when it starts to brown too much.

Pesto Alfredo Lasagna

*I have not tried this as of 1.28.12, but I plan to put it in to our recipe rotation.  Read the recipe BEFORE making.

12 lasagna noodles

2 c. fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1 c. flat-leaf parsley, lightly packed
16-20 cloves garlic
1/3 c. olive
¼ c. butter
¼ c. flour
2 c. milk or light cream
1 c. parmesan cheese, shredded
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cook noodles according to directions; drain well. 

In a blender or food processor, combine basil, parsley, garlic and oil.  Blend until nearly smooth.  Transfer half of pesto sauce to a freezer container.  Freeze for another time.  Set remaining sauce aside. 
In a medium pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour until smooth.  Add milk all at once.  Stir constantly.  Stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Stir in parmesan cheese and reserved pesto. 
Spread ½ c. sauce into a 3 qt. baking dish.  Lay 3 noodles side by side in the bottom of the dish; spread with ½ c. sauce and sprinkle with a heaping 1/3 c. each remaining cheeses (mozzarella and Monterey jack).  REPEAT LAYER 3 TIMES. 
Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Alfredo Mostaccioli

1 (16oz) pkg mostaccioli or penne pasta
1 c. heavy cream *(I didn't have, so I substituted*see below)
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. chopped fresh parsley (I used:  dried parsley..use MUCH less)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder

1. Cook pasta according to box; al dente
2.  Combine heavy cream and butter in a dutch oven or a large, heavy saucepan over med. heat.  Heat until butter melts, stirring occassionally.  DO NOT BOIL!
3. Stir in parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
4. Toss with cooked pasta and serve immediately.



*Note:  Heavy cream substitute:
-Mix 3/4 c. milk and 1/3 c. of unsalted butter (NOT MARGARINE)
or
-Mix skim milk and some flour or cornstarch.

**For a heartier dinner, add cooked chicken.

Found:  http://allrecipes.com

Lasagna Roll ups

These are quickly becoming a family favorite (minus child #2.  he won't eat anything with red sauce!)
Another bonus:  you can freeze them!

There are so many variations of these, but I usually take the easy way out and use premade spaghetti sauce...so sue me!  :) If you want something more in depth..scroll to the bottom

9-10 Lasagna noodles
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
2 c. Cottage cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
2 c. shredded mozarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375*
2. Cook the noodles.
3.  Warm up spaghetti sauce
4.  Mix cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and egg together.
5. Spread a small amount of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan.  (Trust me.  Do this step!)


Spread cheese mixture evenly over each lasagna noodle.
Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. 
Top with remaining sauce.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Abt. 5 minutes before the dish is finished sprinkle top with mozarella cheese.

Return and finish cooking, until cheese has melted.

**You can freeze these!








Sauce:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 c. spaghetti sauce

Filling:
2 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 TB. parsley
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
s&p to taste

9 lasagna noodles, cooked
2 c. mozarella cheese, shredded

*Found at Favorite Family Recipes

OLiVe GArden's Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 lb ground Italian sausage 
1 tsp crushed red peppers (if using hot sausage, no peppers needed)

1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree

7 cups water
6 cubes of chicken bouillon
Fennel

1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes

1 cup heavy cream

¼ of a bunch of kale (cut off the stems of the kale...I usually fold it in half and cut most of it out).  Rinse and massage


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 approximately 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. (IP: 2 minutes)
5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage.
7. Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

Extra tidbit:
This tasted SO much better the next day!! It was good with a great bread and salad too!