Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• Salt
• 8 pieces jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese (can use reduced fat or skim)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn 
• 1 cup shredded Asiago
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, Crushed
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Egg Beaten

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Pasta:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
• Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package for Al Dente.   Drain pasta and cool.

Filling: 

• Combine ricotta, with 1/2 of the other cheeses (Mozzarella, Asiago, and Parmasiano.) Add parsley salt, pepper, and egg to the cheeses and stir to combine.

Sauce:

• Over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper ( I like to add a little red pepper flakes for an extra kick).
• Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in basil leave. 

• * If you have a little Marinara Sauce or prefer Meat sauce, that can ALSO be used.

Assemble:

• Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized casserole dish. 
• Fill shells with filling  and arrange them seam side. 
• Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining cheeses. 
• Cook 6 to 8 minutes uncovered, to melt cheeses , or till you see the sauce bubble.

 **Feel free to get inventive with these.  I have added spinach, ham,  to the cheese filling, filled with meat, added a layer of sliced Italian sausage to the bottom of the pan, etc.  Get creative, and ENJOY!!! (BTW.  They freeze WONDERFULLY, I usually make two or three pans and freeze for later..)



Lisa C. . . . .

Simple Lasagne

 

 

Ingredients

• 2-15 oz containers ricotta cheese
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese Shredded
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 box lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh curly parsley
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil
• 2-15 oz jars tomato sauce (or homemade Marinara)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta, drain, and cool. Brown meat, drain, add tomato sauce, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and basil. Spread 1/4 of meat sauce on bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Cover with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 ricotta mixture, 1/4 sauce, 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers twice. Bake 40 minutes. Cool 10 mins. Serves 10–12.



**Tip: Ground beef can be substituted or mixed with pork, turkey or Italian sausage...

Mexicali Mac n Cheese

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound hamburger
• 1 1/2 can pinto beans
• 2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 box elbow mac
• 1 mild chili seasoning packet
• foil paper
• Sour cream (if desired)
• Cayenne pepper (if desired)

• Cook mac leave a little hard.
  
• preheat oven to 350.
  
• Cook hamburger leaving it chunky.
• Mix the mac, chili seasoning and the meat. Stir. Add pinto beans, stir again. See if you need more mac and then either pour in all cheese and stir or save a little to put on the top five mins before its time to take out of oven.
  
• Cover with foil and stick it in for like 35 mins.
  
• Serve with sour cream,if you like.
  

Lola's Pancit

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1 8 oz. pack pancit noodles
• 
  
  1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 
  
  2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water
• 
  
  1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips
• 
  
  1 onion, pealed and sliced
• 
  
  3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
• 
  
  1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces
• 
  
  1 carrot, sliced into strips
• 
  
  2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 
  
  3/4 cup diced celery
• 
  
  3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 
  
  Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
  1 lemon, sliced

Instructions

• 
  
  Soak the pancit noodles to soften for 10 minutes
• 
  
  Grease a large pan or wok with oil. Sauté garlic and onions.
• 
  
  Add the chicken broth, the shredded chicken breast and all the vegetables until cooked.
• 
  
  Mix in the pancit noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.
• 
  
  Salt and pepper to taste.
• 
  
  Serve hot with sliced lemon on the side.

Cheesy Penne

 

 Looking to overhaul your Mac and cheese?  This is sooooooo yummy, it's like the bastard child of Macaroni and cheese and Fetuccini Alfredo... Totally not on my diet list, but worth the little cheat.. hehehehe

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh penne pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces aged English white Cheddar, grated
• Kosher salt
• Fresh finely ground black peppercorns

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta, cook until al dente, and drain. Return pasta to the saucepan.
Whisk milk with Dijon in small bowl and add to the pot with cooked pasta, along with cream and grated Cheddar. Stir over medium-low heat until the cheese melts and the mixture is nice and thick. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. Happy indulging!

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson

Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 10 ounces ground pork shoulder
• 10 ounces sweet Italian sausage
• 2 ounces prosciutto or pancetta, minced (helps to put in freezer for 15 min first, before mincing, will make it easier to cut)
• 4 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed first.
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (high quality, either San Marzano or Muir Glen)
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded* fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

* if fresh is NOT available, you can substitute w/ 1 Tablespoon of dried basil...

 

Method 

In a large bowl, add the pork, Italian sausage, prosciutto or pancetta, bread cubes, parsley, oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt. Use your hands to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not over-work.Whisk the beaten eggs and ricotta together in a separate bowl until there are no more large clumps of ricotta. Pour into the bowl of the meat mixture. Mix with your hands until just incorporated. Again, do not over-mix.

If you want, to test seasoning, you can take a small bit of the mix, form into a patty, and heat in a small skillet on the stovetop until cooked through. Depending on how this test patty tastes to you, add more herbs, chili, or salt to taste to the meat mixture. Keep meat mixture in refrigerator while doing this.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with olive oil. Form meatballs in your hand, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, using about 3 Tbsp of the mixture to form each meatball. Arrange in pan so there is some space between them. If too crowded they will steam and not brown.

Roast meatballs in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning the meatballs after about 20 minutes, until the meatballs are beginning to brown.

Remove pan from oven. Use a metal spatula to dislodge meatballs from being stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil (carefully because the pan is still hot!) Return the pan to the oven. Lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for an additional hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle basil into sauce before serving.



Makes about 24 meatballs. Top with grated Parmesan.

Spaghetti w/Italian Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 Package of Italian Sausage (we like HOT)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (high quality, either San Marzano or Muir Glen)
• 1/4 cup chiffonaded* fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion minced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 box of Spaghetti

* if fresh is NOT available, you can substitute w/ 1 Tablespoon of dried basil...

 

Method 

In a Crock Pot Add Crushed Tomatoes , add parsley, oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt.. Set to high.  

In a skillet heat 1 tsp of olive oil and add sausages.... Brown... add Onion and Garlic till translucent and then incorporate everything in the skillet into the Crock pot...

Cook on Low for a few hours.. Taste for QC purposes and add salt and pepper to taste...

 Make Spaghetti according to package directions once ready to eat..

Sprinkle basil into sauce before serving.

Top with grated Parmesan.