Tortellini Primavera

Every once in awhile I buy fresh tortellini. And when I do it's only from Costco because #1 the price is amazing and #2 it's really good. There is a lot though so I end up freezing about two-thirds of it. I love to create new recipes using this tortellini because it's so easy to work with and it's cheese-filled so it goes with everything.

I also look for new ways to incorporate vegetables into our meals that aren't just sitting as a side dish. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just fun to have them involved with the main course sometimes. This pasta dish is great because you can use any vegetable you have in the fridge or the freezer. You can get really creative with this one so I encourage you to use your favorites to make this dish your own. We love broccoli and always have some in the freezer so this was the main vegetable in this version. I combined it with carrots and red pepper but you can easily use zucchini, peapods, other peppers, onions, tomatoes, or anything else you can think of! Serve it up with a salad or some crusty bread and you're good to go!

Pasta Carbonara - The Ham Way

I've finally made a ham category on here. It's been a long time coming considering I have so many recipes on here that use it! I just love it so much and love finding new and creative uses for it. This may not be the most creative use, but it's definitely one of the tastiest!

Classic Potato Gnocchi

If you've never had potato gnocchi, you're missing out. It's a dish that seems like it would bog you down, but it doesn't. They're just light, fluffy little pieces of goodness. They are a bit filling, but they don't have that heaviness associated with them.

Caprese Skewers

Elegant appetizers can be so much fun but they don't surface very often. They just bring such a different feel to a party than chips and salsa or pigs in a blanket. And the cost doesn't have to be out of control if you find the right combination of ingredients. This post happens to be about my sister's creation and it fits the bill for being easy to prepare and it's not too shabby on the budget either. 

Spaghetti Primavera

Pasta seems to get a bad rep these days and it's a shame because it's not all bad for you. I whipped this meal up for a quick weeknight meal and it's a pretty healthy dish that's light on the budget and the palate. It's full of flavor, loaded up with good for you veggies, and so easy and fast to make! 

Super Simple Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This is quite possibly one of the easiest meals I've ever made. Roasted Red Pepper sauce probably sounds like it's complicated, but using pre-made or store-bought peppers makes this a fast and great choice for a busy weeknight dinner. It's also a very light meal so you don't get that heavy "I just ate a lot of pasta" feeling. 

Italian-Style Stuffed Zucchini

I went to the farm stand near our house a few days ago specifically for zucchini. They have the kind that you would grow in your backyard...you know, the ones that aren't super tiny you get your money's worth.

When I was younger, my parents had a garden behind the garage and they would grow everything from strawberries to chives to zucchini. I remember that zucchini fondly because to this day, I have not seen any that could compare. I'm not exaggerating when I say they were a foot and a half in length and at least five inches in diameter. You can't find vegetables like that anywhere anymore, but at least the local farm stands come close.

Some Good, Old-Fashioned Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, right? Well, let me rephrase that a bit. Everyone loves good pizza, right? I always used to say that any pizza was good pizza and it was hard to find one out there that didn't taste good. But then I grew up and discovered a world that was filled with grease and cardboard. Whenever you order a pizza from the standard joint around the corner, you're pretty much guaranteed to get that nasty, greasy pizza with paper stuck to the top. If you pop in a frozen pizza, you get a result that tastes more like a box than a yummy treat. My husband and son would probably disagree with that statement, but I'm just not a fan.

In my efforts to have a healthier household, I whipped up my own homemade pizza the other day. I don't usually have yeast in my house so I used what I had on hand to create a tasty pizza crust using just a few ingredients and very little time. It was easy to put together and I found comfort in knowing what ingredients went into making it and what greasy concoctions didn't make the cut.

Red, White and....Pasta?

There really isn't much to say about this recipe except 'yum.' I could tell you that I wanted some lasagna but then I'd be lying. I could tell you I wanted some spaghetti, but that wouldn't be true either. I really just wanted to try and make some roll ups. I had some ricotta in the fridge and I wanted to use it up before it went bad so I thought this would be the perfect way to use it. I had everything but the noodles so I went for it.  This recipe is a bit time-consuming, but it was definitely worth it. As for the red and white...well, I simply couldn't decide what kind of sauce I wanted so I made both!

Red and White Lasagna Roll Ups

• Filling 1:
• 1 pkg frozen spinach (8-10 oz)
• 2 carrots, shredded then finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ c onion, finely chopped
• 2 TB butter
• ½ tsp salt

• Filling 2:
• 1 ½ c fat-free ricotta
• ½ c low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 c parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 oz fat-free cream cheese, softened
• pinch nutmeg
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

• White Sauce:
• 3 TB butter
• 2 TB flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• ¼ c parmesan cheese
• 2 oz fat-free cream cheese
• ¼ tsp salt

• Red Sauce:
• 1/3 c onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 TB oil
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 2 TB tomato paste
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

• 16 lasagna noodles

• ½ c shredded mozzarrella cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Noodles: 

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. 

2. When done cooking, submerge in cold water to stop cooking. 

3. Lay out on foil in single layer so they don’t stick.

Filling 1: 

1. In medium saute pan, cook onion, garlic, carrot and salt in butter for about 7 minutes or until soft. 

2. Add spinach and stir to heat through. Set aside.

Filling 2: 

1. Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

White Sauce: 

1. Melt butter in saucepan and add flour. 

2. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat  until slightly thickened, light golden in color and has a hint of a nutty smell. 

3. Slowly add milk a little at a time, stirring well between additions. 

4. After all milk has been incorporated, turn heat to medium and add parmesan cheese. 

5. Stir continuously until cheese is disolved. 

6. Turn heat to medium-high and add cream cheese and salt. 

7. Stir until cream cheese is melted.

Red Sauce: 

1. Cook onion, garlic and salt in oil over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes. 

2. Add tomatoes and sauces and stir well. 

3. Add all spices and turn heat to low. 

4. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Assembly and baking: 

1. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray and spread about ¼ c of red sauce over the bottom. 

2. Take one noodle and spread about 2 TB of filling 2 over half of the noodle. 

3. Sprinkle about ½ TB of filling 1 over filling 2. 

4. Roll the noodle from filling end to non-filling end and place into pan, seam side down. 

5. Repeat with remaining noodles.

6. Spoon white sauce over one row of roll ups. Spoon red sauce over next row. Continue alternating colors until all the roll ups are covered. 

7. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. 

8. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese over each row. 

9. Return to oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until starting to brown.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes then serve.

It's All About the Sauce : The Best Spaghetti Sauce Ever

Over the years, I've had a lot of people ask me for a good spaghetti sauce recipe.  I always have the same response for each one, "My mom's sauce is the best. I'll email you the recipe."  Sure, I might be a little biased because no one makes better sauce than a good Italian woman, but give it a try for yourself and tell me what you think.  It's a hearty sauce that is great on a pile of spaghetti noodles served with some garlic bread.  It also holds it's own in lasagna (recipe to come) or any other baked pasta. This recipe makes a lot of sauce but it freezes well so go for it!

Mom's Meat Sauce

• 1 - 1.25 lbs ground round or turkey
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 TB butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 tsp dried basil 
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• dash nutmeg
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 - 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 - 14oz cans tomato sauce
• 3 TB tomato paste
• 3/4 c water
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 c sliced mushrooms (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In large stock pot, cook meat, onion, celery, and carrot in oil and butter over medium-high heat until meat is browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Add garlic, basil, oregano, allspice, nutmeg, parsley, and sugar.  Mix all ingredients well and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
2. Add crushed tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and wine. Bring to a boil, add bay leaf, then reduce heat and simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Stir occasionally and add a little additional water or tomato juice if necessary if you'd like a thinner consistency. About a half hour before serving, add mushrooms and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Serve or cool completely and freeze in portions.