Lasagna

Remember when I said we don't much pasta, yeah so here is another pasta recipe. I love lasagna. It is one my favorite Italian recipes. I love how the layers of of noodles, meat sauce and ricotta sauce all just melt in your mouth and create wonderful goodness.

I love making my own sauce instead of using a jar of spaghetti sauce. It takes some time to put it all together, but it really is worth it. I normally make this in a 9x13 dish, but decided to go with an 8x8 this time around. I like the thicker layers it provides. It does need to be baked longer if you decide to go this route. Sorry the picture looks so horrible. I was so ready to dig in when it came out of the oven that I didn't give it that much needed rest time. Enjoy yourself some wonderful lasagna goodness!

Lasagna
Printer friendly recipeSource: The Pioneer Kettle Volume II

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat
1 clove of garlic
1/2 Tbsp dried Basil, crushed
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 lb canned tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
5 oz lasagna noodles
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c ricotta or cottage cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Brown meat slowly and drain; Add next 5 ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Cook noodles in boiling water until tender; drain and rinse. Place half the noodles in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Spread with half the cottage cheese filling. Add half the meat sauce, then half the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Bake in a moderate 375 degree oven for 30 minutes; let stand 10 minutes. Filling will set lightly.

Chicken Cacciatore

I have had this starred in my Google Reader for while. I use my reader and cookbooks when I am meal planning for the week. I try to meal plan each week to make grocery shopping easier and I feel more organized at dinner time. Flipping through my reader, the mushrooms stopped me in my tracks.

I love mushrooms and that put this recipe over the top in the make list. The flavors from the tomatoes, herbs and mushrooms add a wonderful earthy flavor to the chicken. We don't tend to eat much pasta, so every one in awhile, its ok to indulge. To make this dish healthier, use whole wheat pasta. This will definitely be a keeper in our house. Enjoy!!

So, do you make meal plans for the week?

Chicken Cacciatore
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Source: Annie's Eats as adapted from Williams Sonoma
Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 chicken breasts, butterflied in half (4 pieces total)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz. white button mushrooms, cleaned and halved (I used 8 oz)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sprigs fresh oregano
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs

Directions:

In a deep saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the bacon, chicken, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, thyme, red wine, chicken broth, and tomatoes (including juices) to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Fetteccine Alfredo with Bacon

You can not go wrong with bacon! This is a wonderful light fetteccine alfredo that uses fresh pasta and a sprinkling of bacon. I was worried that this sauce was going to be to runny and not thicken up at all, but it does thicken up nicely when the cheese is added. It has an absolutely wonderful flavor. I have never worked with fresh pasta before. Be very careful when boiling. It only takes a few minutes to cook making this dish even faster but it taste so much better than dried pasta. Maybe its time I venture into trying to make my own.

The next time I make this dish, and I will make it again, I will double the sauce. I know that will change the calories but it seemed a little dry with the amount of sauce in the recipe. Of course Michael wants the bacon doubled, but I thought the bacon was just fine. Enjoy this lighter version of alfredo!


Fetteccine Alfredo with Bacon
Printer friendly version

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

Shrimp Tetrazzini

I have a few bags of shrimp in my freezer and was looking for a different way to cook them. After reading lots of reviews on Allrecipes, this recipe popped out at me. I am so glad that I tried it. The shrimp is prepared then added to a wonderful creamy sauce and pasta, baked, then topped with Parmesan cheese. It takes time to prepare because it has to bake in the oven after everything has been cooked, but it is so creamy and wonderful!

A few notes concerning this recipe. Next time I prepare this dish, I will add fresh parsley to the pasta mixture before it is cooked and I will also mix the Parmesan cheese with about a 1/4 cup of bread crumbs for the topping of the dish. Enjoy!

Shrimp Tetrazzini

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Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter (I used a tablespoon of olive oil)
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces shrimp, shelled and deveined
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sherry (I used white wine)
1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti (I used penne pasta)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

I also added a few red pepper flakes and a minced clove of garlic to the shrimp while they were cooking.

Directions

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.

Over a medium-low heat melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion to melted butter and stir until onion is soft. Add shrimp and mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Remove shrimp mixture from saucepan, place in a medium size bowl and set aside.

Remove saucepan from heat. Combine flour, mayonnaise, salt, milk, and sherry in the saucepan. Mix well. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook until sauce thickens. Pour sauce into the bowl containing the shrimp mixture. Add the spaghetti to the bowl and mix well.

Place all ingredients in a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish (baking pan). Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top of the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

Ziti al Forno

A few months ago, Michael and I went to Biaggis for dinner. Michael ordered the Ziti al Forno and loved it! I wanted to try to recreate the meal at home. I contacted The News & Observer and they emailed me the recipe.

In the description of the recipe at the restaurant, it states that the chicken and shrimp are cooked in a lobster cream sauce. That made me question if I wanted to try to recreate this dish at home. I have never cooked with lobster so I was a little nervous about the venture. As I read the recipe, I realized it doesn't contain lobster at all! I was totally going to be able to do this.

It takes a little time to put the dish together but it is so good. The prosciutto, shrimp and chicken go wonderfully together. I halved the recipe and still have tons left over. Next time I make it I will double the sauce recipe to make it a little more creamy. It was a little dry, but the pasta was perfect. Enjoy!

Ziti al Forno

Source: The News & Observer

1 pound ziti
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup red onion, diced
4 ounces prosciutto, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
8 ounces shrimp, tail-off, peeled and deveined, cut in half
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3-4 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Boil ziti in a large pot of salted water according to package directions, checking for doneness about 2 minutes before the time called for. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and prosciutto. Saute until onions are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chicken, and saute until chicken is about halfway done, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are just done, about 3 minutes.

Deglaze pan with wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook until reduced by 1/4, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add frozen peas. Stir in the Parmesan and scallions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the cooked ziti. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking. Transfer pasta and sauce into prepared baking dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.