Baked Ziti

Months ago I made this one night when I had a large crowd coming over for dinner and a friend of mine just had surgery. They all loved it adults and kids and wanted the recipe.  so here I am 4 months later coming through with my promise!

This makes a huge 9X13 dish.  if it is only your small family you may want to cut it in half.  Even though we are a small family I always make big dishes we love leftovers for lunches the next day or a quick dinner if we are short on time.  Luckily my husband thinks it is great when we have leftovers and enough for dinner the next night I finally caught onto why he thought this....  He watches the kids while I cook.  If I do not have  to cook, he does not have to watch the kids.  now I am onto his tricks I will have to think of a new time for him to entertain the while I am busy doing my thing.

It is a great dinner with simular taste as lasagna only easier the cheese and sour cream add a great and unexpected tang.  add green beans or a salad and you have a great meal

Printer friendly recipe
  Ingredients:

1 pound dry ziti pasta ( I always use whole wheat, you cannot even tell) 1 onion, chopped 1 pound  ground meat. I love Italian sausage or turkey it gives more flavor 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced 1 1/2 cups sour cream 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2.	In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4.	Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

 adapted from the girl who ate everything  and  allrecipes

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

These are great stuffed shells they have great flavor and are liked by all. It was a bit time intensive to prepare, but if you made the filling ahead of time it goes much faster. I also used a zip-lock gallon bag with a snipped corner to put my filling in. Much easier!! I love meals like this that are great to be frozen and eaten whenever.

This recipe makes two 9x13 pans perfect for sharing one with a sick friend or neighbor, or someone who just had a baby. In our house this is one of our favorite things to do. when ever my son parker sees me making something big or treats of any kind he asks if someone have a baby, or if someone is sick, or died.... It is cute, but I am mainly glad I am teaching him that it is good to serve and share with others. I always make it a point to take him with me when I can to help deliver the food so he can experience the feelings of service too.
Nothing warms the soul like a delicious meal made by someone thinking of them!

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.



Source: Sisters cafe
I forgot to take a picture before we dug in but this is what it looked like from here

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

I got this recipe from a friend Christy. I was a little skeptical, but it was so good. and a better alternative to pasta.

Spaghetti Squash 1 squash

Ground turkey (Jenni-o) 1 pound

Spaghetti Sauce 1 jar


Squash:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Pierce with a fork. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian seasonings and garlic salt to your personal liking. Cover with foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours cut side up. You don't want it to be crunchy or soggy when you scrape it out. Once cooked, let cool for a couple minutes then scraped out the squash with a fork. ( did mine cut side down with water all in the bottom of the cookies sheet. it worked fine. t hat is just how I always cooked squash before.)


Sauce:

I sprinkle a little Worcestershire, garlic salt, steak seasoning, and salt and pepper on the ground turkey to make it taste more like beef and then brown it in a saucepan on the stove. Once it's cooked add your choice of spaghetti sauce and warm in pan.

Serve sauce over spaghetti squash with Parmesan cheese on top. I like to serve it with a light garlic bread.
(I had too much sauce for the amount of noodles this made, so either do two squashes or save the rest of the sauce for another meal later)

spinach pasta salad

I got this from Allie and it is so good. I have used all different kinds of pasta with it. anything will work. great the next day for lunch too.

Salad:
1 lb. Pasta, cooked al dente, drain, rinse in cold water
3 C cooked chopped chicken
5 C fresh spinach, shredded
1 C black olives, chopped in 1/4’s
4 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
3 cups diced tomatoes (grape tomatoes, YUM!)
3/4 C Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup chopped green onion

Dressing:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C vinegar ( I use balsamic)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced

Blend dressing ingredients. Pour over mixed salad. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes before serving.

thai chicken Pasta

I also got this recipe from a friend. I have made it both with chicken and shrimp. Thai Chicken Pasta

This turns out to be exactly like the dish of the same name at the Cheesecake Factory. It is pretty spicy so if you don't like really spicy food, don't use as much of the red chili garlic sauce. This is one of my favorite meals and it is pretty easy to make. I like to one and a half the sauce part of the recipe because I like it a little bit more saucy. Also, if you don't have sesame oil or you aren't a fan of it (I am not really) you can use vegetable or canola oil to saute the carrots.

12 ounces linguine

Cooked, Cubed Chicken (I usually use 2-3 chicken breasts)

Sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup finely shredded carrots
3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

Cilantro and Green Onions to Garnish


Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions.
Drain and return to pot. Set aside.

Heat 1 TBSP sesame oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat.
Add green onions, carrots, garlic and ginger.
Saute until vegetables soften, about 4 minutes.
Mix honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and chili-garlic sauce and add to vegetables. Mix well. Add Chicken. Simmer sauce 2 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and toss well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.

Lasagna soup

I got this from a friends blog and it is so yummy and quick and tastes a ton like lasagna with no effort.

Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground chuck

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth

2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups broken lasagna noodles

1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan Cheese

1 (5.5-ounce) box Italian seasoned croutons

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1-In a large pot, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook over medium-high heat, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

2-Stir in both, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

3-Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 10 ovenproof bowls. Top with croutons; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6 inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Serve immediately.

healthy dinner

As I looked in the fridge at 5:15 tonight wondering what to make I created this concoction. it actually turned out really well and was very healthy too. I call it pesto veggie pasta
Start off by boiling water for your pasta. I used whole wheat rotini noodles
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
I sauted all of these together until soft.

Then add all of these and simmer and put lid on your saute pan.
2 large zucchinis cut into small pieces ( I cut it lengthwise then in half again lengthwise then slices them into chunks.
8oz. sliced mushrooms
1 15oz can diced organic tomatoes in juice
2 cups of fresh spinach shredded

stir, it is finished when zucchini is soft
salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste
1/3 cup fresh basil pesto (more if you want, this is quite fattening, so add carefully) but it is a healthier fat made with Olive oil
stir until all mixed through, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Drain pasta and mix with veggies and sauce




Drain pasta and mix with veggies and sauce
top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.Hea

fresh pasta recipe

On Wednesday morning I hosted for our enrichment mini group cooking class. We did homemade pasta. I practiced on Tuesday since it had been a while. I came to the conclusion that unless you have a pasta machine it is not the greatest idea to take on. The pasta machine just gets the dough so thin, which is hard to do with a rolling pin. The hand done noodles turned out ok, just a little thicker. On Wednesday morning I was all ready for the class, but really had no idea how many would come there were only about 6 of us in the initial group. a few people contacted me and let me know they would not be able to make it for one reason or another, so there were three of us. which isn't bad, I was worried about the lack of space and this way it was more one on one. I really meant to take pictures, but never got around to it. I also made a sun-dired tomato pesto sauce, for something different. I will include my recipes.
You should try it sometime. it is fun and the noodles are so yummy!

Basic Pasta

Ingredients Make 1 pound

2 3/4 Cups of flour

* 3 eggs (at room temperature)

* 1 teaspoon of salt

* 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil Directions

1. Put flour on counter or mixing board

2. Make a mound of flour. Scoop out the center of flour and place flour on sides.

3. Mix eggs and salt and Olive Oil.

4. Place mixture in the middle of the flour volcano.

5. With a fork, incorporate all of the flour into the egg mixture.

6. Now knead the flour and egg mixture.

7. This may seem difficult at first, because the flour and egg mixture will be very stiff.

8. Keep kneading.

9. Knead until the dough is consistent throughout and takes on a silky sheen.

10. Cover with a bowl or plastic wrap.

11. Allow dough ball to rest for 20-30 minutes.

12. Your dough is now ready to be turned into pasta

How to Make Homemade Pasta with a Machine

1. Knead dough with pasta machine. Set rollers of pasta machine at widest setting (position 1). Feed unwrapped dough piece through flat rollers by turning handle. (Dough may crumble slightly at first but will hold together after two to three rollings.)
   

   Knead the dough through the pasta machine at the widest setting.

2. Lightly flour dough strip; fold strip into thirds. Feed through rollers again. Continue process 7 to 10 times until dough is smooth and elastic.
   

   Fold the pasta dough into thirds.

3. Roll out dough with machine. Reduce setting to position 3. Feed dough strip through rollers. Without folding strip into thirds, repeat on positions 5 and 6. Let dough stand 5 to 10 minutes until slightly dry.
   
   
4. Attach desired shape and size of pasta roller and feed dough through, catching finished pasta with free hand as it emerges. Repeat kneading and rolling with reserved dough pieces.
   

   Using the desired attachment, feed the dough through the pasta machine.

5. Pasta can be dried and stored at this point. Hang pasta strips over pasta rack or clean broom handle covered with plastic wrap and propped between two chairs. (Or, twirl pasta into nests and place on clean kitchen towels.) Dry at least 3 hours; store in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

How to Make Homemade Pasta by Hand

It is very simple to make your own fresh pasta at home, even without a pasta machine. Just follow these basic steps and discover the delicious taste and satisfaction of eating your very own pasta.

1. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt on pastry board, culling board, or countertop; make well in center. Whisk 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, and1 teaspoon olive oil in small bowl until well blended; gradually pour into well in flour mixture while mixing with fork or fingertips to form ball of dough.
   

   Gradually add the mixture to the flour to make a ball of dough.

2. Place dough on lightly floured surface; flatten slightly. To knead dough, fold dough in half toward you and press dough away from you with heels of hands. Give dough a quarter turn and continue folding, pushing, and turning. Continue kneading 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding more flour to prevent sticking if necessary. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let stand 15 minutes.
   

   Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.

3. Unwrap dough and knead briefly (as described in step 2) on lightly floured surface. Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8-inch-thick circle on lightly floured surface. Gently pick up dough circle with both hands. Hold it up to the light to check for places where dough is too thick. Return to board; even out any thick spots. Let rest until dough is slightly dry but can be handled without breaking.
   
4. Lightly flour dough circle; roll loosely on rolling pin.
   

   Loosely roll the dough on a rolling pin.

5. Slide rolling pin out; press dough roll gently with hand and cut into strips of desired width with sharp knife. Carefully unfold strips.
   

   Cut the dough into strips of desired width.

6. Pasta can be dried and stored at this point. Hang strips over pasta rack or clean broom handle covered with plastic wrap and propped between two chairs. Dry at least 3 hours; store in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. To serve, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 3 to 4 minutes just until al dente. Drain well.

   Dry the pasta using a drying rack.

Sundried tomato and pesto sauce

4 ounces sun dried tomatoes packed in oil

4 ounces of Basil and garlic pesto

1 medium onion, chopped

8oz. sliced fresh mushrooms

1 ½ cups pasta water

Take sun driedtomatoes along with pesto, put in food processor or blender. Until mixed and tomatoes diced.

After cooking pasta set aside leftover starchy water mix in with sauces.

Sauté onion and mushroom until soft, then mix all together. Top with Parmesan cheese.