spaghetti sauce

I've been making this for about 4 years, but recently had a dry spell with it while meal planning was an afterthought to a new baby. I made it again last night and was reminded how much I love it, and how worth the effort it is.

1 29oz can diced tomatoes (or whole tomatoes)
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/2 an onion (or a whole small/medium one)
5 Tbs butter
a grind of black pepper

1 lb Italian sausage (we like both mild and hot)

optional:
bell peppers, carrots, garlic, herbs (oregano, basil)

1. Put the butter, half onion, pepper, and tomatoes (and/or sauce), undrained, in a big sauce pan. Add dry herbs or garlic now. 
2. Bring the tomatoes to a simmer on medium-high heat.
3. Turn the heat down to medium/low and let it simmer till the butter has incorporated into the tomatoes and the whole thing is saucy, about 30 min. Smash down the tomatoes with your spoon and stir it occasionally.
4. While the sauce is cooking, cook your sausage and crumble it (take it out of the casings if you can't find ground sausage). Chop your bell peppers or grate a carrot if you're using it.
5. Dump the cooked sausage into the completed sauce.
6. Take the onion out of the sauce and chop it up. Add it and your chopped veggies to the pan you cooked the sausage in and fry them for a minute or two. Dump it in the sauce.
7. Add some pasta water to the spaghetti sauce to make it smoother and stick to your pasta better.
8. Add any fresh herbs and stir them in.

We like to eat this on thick pasta like cellentani or linguini or fusilli that's had plenty of salt in the water. And freshly grated parmesan is delicious, too.

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

"Minestrone" Soup

I got this recipe from my History of Food professor, Jim Faulconer, in London 2005. He calls it minestrone, but it is nothing like any other minestrone I've ever had and everything like every Italian wedding soup I've ever had. Either way, it's really good. You could substitute some kale for the spinach if you wanted.

serves 4-6

2 T olive oil
1/4 lb Italian sausage, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
3 large cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 bay leaf
1 can white beans
1 can garbanzo beans/chick peas
salt and pepper
8 C chicken stock
1 C small shell pasta
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
10 oz spinach, clean and coarsely chopped (any dark greens work)
1/2 C freshly grated Parmigiano-reggiano or romano cheese, plus extra for topping
12-16 leaves fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade-- substitute 1/4 C chopped parsley if necessary (don't tell Jim, but we used dried basil. just know fresh is way better)

Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. When the bottom of the pot is hot, add the olive oil and turn the pan to distribute the oil.

Saute the sausage for two minutes.

Add the onions, celery, garlic, zucchini, and bay leaf.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add white beans, garbanzo beans, and chicken broth.
Cover and bring to a boil.

Add pasta and green beans to the boiling broth, and cook 8 minutes or until pasta is barely tender.

Stir in the spinach. When it is wilted-- about 1 minute-- stir in the grated cheese.

Ladle soup into bowls and top each bowl with a bunch of basil chiffonade or chopped parsley.

Tortellini Salad

I had something like this at a ward potluck and recreated it at home

Romaine lettuce
Pepperoni or pepperocini
Black olives
Fresh mozzarella (chopped up or made in little balls)
cooked cheese tortellini
chopped red bell pepper
cherry tomatoes

Really good italian dressing

Toss it all and eat. I liked that the tortellinis were still warm.

Southwest Pasta Salad

Sam's mom gave me this recipe and I love it. It's really easy to make and is great for potlucks. But be aware, the whole recipe makes a ton of salad. If I'm just feeding our family, I half the recipe and we still have leftovers. Anna likes it warmed.

I put *asterisks* around ingredients I usually leave out and {brackets} around ingredients I like to add

SOUTHWEST PASTA SALAD

Cook 1 pound tricolor pasta until al dente; do not overcook

In a large bowl, combine the pasta with

½ cup finely chopped red onions

*½ green pepper, finely chopped*

1 cup frozen or canned corn(I just use a whole can of corn)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 small can chopped green chili peppers (sometimes I leave these out and it's still good)

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, or black beans rinsed and drained (I still use the whole can, even when I half the recipe)

4 ounces cubed or shredded cheese (cheddar, taco mix, or colby jack works well)

{half to a whole avocado}

{one or two tomatoes, or some salsa}

{one or two whole green onions}

{chopped black olives}

{some chicken that I stir fried in garlic powder, chili powder, and oregano)

Whisk together these sauce ingredients in small bowl and then pour over those in the large bowl

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp chicken or vegetable broth

5 Tbsp white-wine vinegar

3 Tbsp tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

From the New York Times

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

2. In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Reserve ¼ cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

3. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 large pumpkin
1/2 lb fusilli (spiral) pasta -- I used the dyed kind for a more festive, fall look
1 yellow onion
1 zucchini
1/2 lb ground beef
1 can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
mozzarella
cheddar
parmesan
basil
oregano
black pepper
crushed red pepper
garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut the top out of the pumpkin and remove the guts. You can carve something into the skin of the pumpkin or draw a face on it with permanent marker.

2. Put top back on pumpkin, cover with foil. Put pumpkin on cookie sheet and bake for 45 min to 1 hr.

3. Cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions call for. It should be underdone.

4. Saute ground beef, onion, and zucchini in a frying pan. Season to taste with spices. Vegetables should also be undercooked.

5. Mix pasta, drained tomatoes, and beef mix in a large bowl.

6. Grate LOTS of cheese into it. Dump the whole mix in the pumpkin.

7. Bake for another 30-60 min, until dinner inside is hot, and pumpkin is tender.

Enjoy!

Make sure you buy a pumpkin meant for eating. When I made this, the pumpkin I bought was all stringy inside and tasted disgusting.

Zucchini "Pasta"

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

If you miss pasta, because you don’t eat wheat or you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet, this dish makes a nice stand-in for fettuccine. Be careful not to overcook — it will be al dente with a few minutes of cooking, after which it will quickly fall apart. When made just right, it’s silky and wonderful. You can serve as is, or toss it with a fresh tomato sauce. Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to make the thin zucchini strips.

2 pounds zucchini (or a combination of yellow and green zucchini)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup fresh tomato sauce (optional)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (more to taste)

1. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the zucchini into lengthwise ribbons. Peel off several from one side, then turn the zucchini and peel off more. Continue to turn and peel away ribbons until you get to the seeds at the core of the zucchini. Discard the core. You can also do this on a mandolin, adjusted to a very thin slice.

2. Cook the zucchini strips in two batches. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the zucchini ribbons and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, tossing and stirring the zucchini, for two to three minutes, until softened and beginning to turn translucent. Adjust salt and add freshly ground pepper to taste, and transfer to a serving dish. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and zucchini. Serve, topping with tomato sauce and freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

Yield: Serves four

Advance preparation: This dish is best served right away. But you can enjoy leftovers, which I like to eat cold, doused with lemon juice and a drop of olive oil.

from NYTimes

Lasagna

8 lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion
10 oz frozen spinach drained and squeezed dry
1 glass jar of pasta sauce (I like to get the kind with lots of chunky veggies)
1/2 pkg cream cheese (or neufchatel for less fat) at room temperature
1 16 oz tub cottage cheese
1/3 C parmesan cheese
mozzerella cheese (approx 1 C)

• Boil noodles according to package and set to the side
• Brown the meat with onion
  
• Add 2/3 of the pasta sauce and all the spinach to the meat mixture
• Mix cream cheese, cottage cheese, and parmesan together

• In 13x9 in baking dish, layer in this order 1/3 meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 cheese, 1/3 meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 cheese, 1/3 meat sauce, and mozzerella
• (hint-- use enough meat sauce to cover the area of the pan. If there's not enough to cover on the top layer, use remaining 1/3 jar of pasta sauce to cover it)

• Cover with foil
  
• Bake at 350 for 30 min
• Remove foil for 5 more min or until cheese is bubbly

This is a great one to freeze either before or after you make it. Crank up the heat and allow for more time if you're pulling it straight from the freezer

Tortellini Bake Parmesano

Prep time: 30 min.

1 package (12 oz) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini or ravioli (probably 8-10 oz. of dry tortellini)
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 jar (26 oz) chunky spaghetti sauce w/ garlic & herb
2 small zucchini, sliced
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain.

Meanwhile, brown beef with onion, garlic, and oregano in large skillet over medium-high heat; drain. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Add spaghetti sauce and zucchini. Cook 15 min. or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Arrange half of pasta in oiled 2 qt. microwavable dish; top with half each of sauce and cheese. Repeat layers ending with cheese; cover.

Microwave on high 8-10 min. or until heated through, rotating dish halfway through cooking time.

Serves 4.
Freezes and microwaves well, so double the recipe and save yourself time later!

Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

Prep time: 1 hour

1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 qt. water
6 oz. plain fettuccine
6 oz. spinach fettuccine
(Note: some brands, like Ronzoni, sell a 12 oz. combination plain/spinach fettuccine mix)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 small bell peppers, sliced (red, yellow, green, orange, etc.)
1 small white onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbs arrowroot or cornstarch
2 Tbs white wine (or white grape juice/chicken stock/vegetable stock)
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 dry flakes)

1. Make a Cajun seasoning blend by combining the white pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.

2. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Use about one-third of the seasoning blend to coat the chicken pieces.

3. In another bowl, sprinkle another one-third of the spice blend over the shrimp.

4. Start your pasta cooking by bringing 5 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Add both fettuccines to the hot water, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

5. While the fettuccine cooks, heat 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the chicken in the pan for about 2 minutes per side or until the surface of the chicken starts to turn brown.

6. Add the shrimp to the pan with the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the shrimp from sticking. When the chicken and shrimp have been seared, pour the contents of the pan onto a plate or into a bowl. Do not rinse the pan!

7. Put the pan back over the high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the tomatoes, peppers, and onion to the oil. Sprinkle the veggies with the remaining spice blend and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to turn dark brown or black.

8. Add the chicken and shrimp to the vegetables and pour 3/4 cup of the chicken stock in the pan. Cook over high heat until the stock has been reduced to just about nothing. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of the stock to the pan. The liquid should become dark as it deglazes the pan of the dark film left by the spices and cooking food. Stir constantly, scraping the blackened stuff off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the broth a bit more, then turn the heat down to low.

9. Combine the arrowroot with the wine (or substitute) in a small bowl. Stir until it is dissolved. Add this to the pan and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly.

spaghetti alfredo

Alfredo Sauce:
1 foil wrapped package cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 glass of milk
1 handful of dried cranberries
1/2 tsp salt
1 handful of chopped walnuts
Some spices like marjarjom or rosemary
ground dry cheese like you put on speghetti

Melt the butter and cream cheese, stirring into a thick paste. Add some of that ground dry cheese you put on spaghetti. Add the milk a bit at a time so it gets mixed in thoroughly. Add the rest of the ingredients. Add brown sugar to taste. Cook it until it starts to change into something else.

spaghetti
Just cook dried spaghetti from a box. Or you can cook rice instead.

put the sauce on the spaghetti.

serve with fruits and vegetables, like green beans from the produce aisle. Or baby salad.

Doug