Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper

For the Shells:
1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
8 ounces silken tofu, mashed
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, zucchini, onion and celery and sauté until soft but not brown, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the basil, oregano, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the shells: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Mix the tofu, spinach, cottage cheese, parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the dish. Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish, open-side up. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Italian Sausage Manicotti

1 pkg. ground Italian Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
15 oz. Ricotta cheese
3 cups mozzarella cheese, plus a little extra for topping
1 cup parmesan cheese, plus a little extra for topping
1 egg
2 cloves garlic
S&P to taste
1 jar marinara sauce
Cooked manicotti noodles or large pasta shells, cooked to al dente, rinsed and drained

Cook sausage and onion. Meanwhile, combine all three cheeses, egg, garlic and salt and pepper until thoroughly mixed. Allow sausage and onion to cool, then combine with cheese mixture. Ladle a couple of spoonfuls of marinara sauce on bottom of casserole dish, then stuff noodles with cheesy sausage mixture and place on top of sauce. Once all noodles are stuffed, top with remaining marinara sauce and cheese. Bake in oven 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until cheese and sauce is bubbly.

Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta

Another recipe my neighbor gave me that i haven't tried yet.

Serves 6

6-8 fresh basil leaves, cut up
1/3-1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup olive oil
4-5 gloves garlic, sliced
4 Cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 Cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg linguine or angel hair pasta

Heat olive oil and add sliced garlic cloves. Heat until hot (don't scorch) and mash garlic a little. In large bowl mix basil leaves and chives with cut up tomatoes. Cook pasta and drain. Remove garlic from oil and pour hot oil over tomato mixture; lightly salt and pepper. Combine with pasta. Crumbe cheese on top and serve immediately.

Penne Pasta with Black Beans and Mango

My neighbor raved about this recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but she said to be sure to use fresh, not dried, basil.

1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 sm. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T olive oil
4 oz penne pasta, al dente
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Simmer tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add beans and oil and cook one additional minute. Place cooked pasta in a serving bowl and spoon bean sauce over top. At table, let everyone top with mango, basil, salt, pepper, to taste.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

This recipe is from the Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis. It turned out really yummy and my whole family ate it, even my extremely picky 2-year-old. It kind of requires a lot of dishes, but it's worth it!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Made this yesterday with my leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Not bad...

(we omitted the almonds)

1 pk (7-8 oz) spaghetti
2 c turkey or chicken broth
2 c half and half or milk
1/2 all purpose or quick-mixing flour
1/4 c margarine or butter
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 c cut up cooked turkey or chicken
1 c sliced ripe olives
1/2 c slivered almonds
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain. Heat oven to 350. Mix broth, milk, flour, margarine, salt and pepper in 3 quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in spaghetti, turkey, olives and almonds. Spread in ungreased 3 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Mushroom Fettucine Florentine

12 oz fettuccine pasta, uncooked
2 T olive oil
1 lb (about 5 cups) fresh white mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 c onion, diced
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 pkg (9 oz) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 c fresh roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 c (8 oz) fontina cheese, diced (I use parmesan)

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Place pasta in a large serving bowl; cover and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil until hot. Add mushrooms, onion, salt and black pepper; cook until mushrooms are golden, 5-7 minutes. Stir in creamed spinach and tomatoes; cook until tomatoes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Spoon over reserved pasta. Sprinkle with cheese; toss to coat adding reserved pasta water to desired consistency. Serve immediately.

(This recipe is for the mushroom lovers out there!)

Chicken tortellini soup

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 can fat free chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-2 cans of water
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 tsp basil and oregano each
1 pkg cheese tortellini
1 pkg frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix

In large saucepan combine all but vegetables and tortellini, bring to boil. Add last 2 ingredients, reduce heat, simmer until tender (about 20 minutes). Goes great with breadsticks.

Herbed Tomato Sauce

This is a great way to use some of the tomatoes you may be growing in your garden. Serves 4

2 T olive oil
3 shallots OR 1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
2 T no salt added tomato paste
1/2 C chopped fresh basil
2 t chopped fresh rosemary, or 3/4 t dried crumbled rosemary
2 T snipped fresh chives or minced scallion greens
1 1/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or to taste)
10 ounces medium tube pasta, such as ziti or penne

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil until hot. Saute shallots/onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until shallots/onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, rosemary, chives, salt and cayenne to the bowl, stirring well to combine.*

Meanwhile cook the pasta til just tender and drain well. Toss the hot pasta with the sauce and the remaining oil.

*My tomatoes had been in the refrigerator, so I just combined everything in the skillet to make sure they were warmed, putting the herbs in right before tossing with the pasta.

Chicken, Pine Nut, and Basil Sauce

Serves 4

10 oz shaped pasta, such as rotini or radiatore.
1 T olive oil
3/4 poiund chicken cut into 1/2 pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
13 3/4 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 coarsely chopped sun-dried (not oil packed) tomatoes (I used fresh, but it made it really wet and I had to boil a lot of liquid off.)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t red pepper flakes
3/4 C packed fresh basil leaves
2 T reduced-fat cream cheese
1 T pine nuts

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Cook pasta according to package.

While the pasta is cooking, add the remaining teaspoon oil and the garlic to the skillet and cook until the garlic is softned, about 1 minute. Reserve 1/4 C broth. Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes are very soft, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the reserved broth, the basil, cream chesse, and pine nuts and process to a smooth puree. Stir the puree into the skillet. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until the sauce is smooth and creamy and the chicken is heated through, 2-3 mintues. Toss the sauce with the hot pasta, dived among 4 bowls, and serve topped with freshly grated parmesan and side salad.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

I have so much fresh basil this summer that I decided that I would use it to make pesto last week. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it turned out fabulous! Just thought I'd share.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/8 cup Brazil nuts
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.

Tortellini Garden Salad

I found this recipe at Gourmet Momma. It's super easy and a great new take on pasta salad.

Grocery List:
1 large ripe tomato, cut bite-size
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced pepper, preferably yellow or red
1⁄3 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen cheese tortellini
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (1⁄2 a 16-oz bag)
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 bag (5 oz) spring lettuce mixture
4 oz smoked or regular mozzarella cheese, cut in small cubes (1 cup)

**Serve with: extra balsamic vinaigrette dressing (optional)

How to make it:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine tomato, onion, pepper and dressing in a large bowl. Leave at room temperature.

2. Add tortellini to boiling water; cook as package directs, adding broccoli to pot 5 minutes before tortellini will be done.

3. Drain; rinse under running cold water. Add to tomato mixture; add basil and toss to mix.

4. To serve: Arrange 1 cup lettuce on each of 4 plates. Top with tortellini mixture and mozzarella. Serve extra dressing on the side.

*I decided to make this after the kids had gone to bed, so I was just scrounging in my refrigerator for ingredients. I didn't have mozzarella cheese, so I substituted Parmesan out of the can (not gourmet, but it works!). I also didn't have spring mix lettuce (just leafy green), and I don't like broccoli so I just nixed it, nor did I have a balsamic vinagrette dressing but used a light Italian dressing and it turned out great!

Pasta with Shaved Zucchini

Tonight was "Wing It" night for dinner. I'd been craving pasta and zucchini so this is what I came up with:

Ingredients:
About 1 1/2 pounds pasta (I used Fusilli - the spirally kind)
A couple cups of your favorite pasta cream sauce (Alfredo, Creamy Basil, basically any white sauce will do. I was in a hurry tonight so I just used a jar of Archer Farms Rose Cream Sauce.)
2 Tablespoons EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 zucchini
1/2 large onion, or 1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Garlic salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Bring water to rolling boil and cook pasta according to directions. Shave zucchini with a vegetable peeler and slice onion into thin slices. In fry pan, warm olive oil on medium heat. Add vegetables, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper and saute 2-3 minutes, or until cooked, but still crunchy. Once pasta is cooked through, drain water and toss with heated pasta sauce. Top with cooked vegetables and grated Parmesan Cheese.

The great thing about this recipe is that it's so versatile. You could use broccoli, peas, asparagus, peppers, or green beans in place of the zucchini. And for those of you with picky eaters like me, I pureed the veggies and mixed them in with the sauce and got no complaints. You could even skip the cream sauce and just toss the pasta with a little chicken broth and olive oil and then top it with cheese.

Here's a couple more Weeknight Favorites

Hawaiian Haystacks
Submitted by Sarah Ebbert

cut up chicken, cooked
cream of chicken soup
rice
cheese
pineapple
coconut

Mix a can of cream of chicken soup with about half a can of water and add the chicken to it and serve that over rice. Then top it with whatever you choose. For thicker, creamier sauce, don't add any water. This only makes about 3-4 servings, so double it for more people.


Creamy Chicken Cacciatore - a spin on Macaroni and Cheese
Submitted by Sarah Ebbert

Cooked chicken in bite-sized pieces
2 Zucchinis, sliced
1 Can stewed tomatoes, drained
1 Box Mac & Cheese
2 1/2 Cups water
Oregano
Diced Onions

After the chicken is cooked, add water, pasta, zucchini, onions, and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer about 12 minutes until pasta is tender. Add cheese (from mac and cheese) and stewed tomatoes and cook until heated through.

Weeknight Favorites: Alfredo Sauce

Submitted by Marcia Seable

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
1 cup milk

Mix together and melt in microwave till smooth and creamy. Serve over fettuccine noodles. You can add broccoli, asparagus, or grilled chicken. It tastes great just plain too.

Lemon Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

This if from the back of the Chicken of the Sea smoked salmon pouch. You can buy it in the tuna section. It's really yummy. Serves 2-4

2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 t minced fresh garlic (i use my garlic press)
1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes, drained and julienne cut
Zest and juice from 2 small lemons
1/3 C cold butter cut into pieces
2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1 3oz pouch smoked salmon
1/2 lb fettuccine, cooked according to package

Top with:
3 T-1/4 C toasted pine nuts (we usually mix these in)
grated Parmesan cheese
fresh chopped basil

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute garlic. Add tomatoes and lemon juice; saute one more minute. Add cold butter, lemon zest, parsley, and oregano. Stir until butter has melted and mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Gently fold in salmon, flaking it into bite size pieces as you go. Toss mixture with pasta until coated. Sprinkle with pine nuts, cheese and basil.

Rachael Ray's Pizzagna

I saw this on an episode of Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals." If you want an easy way to make lasagna, this recipe is GREAT! My family loved it!

(You can also view it at foodnetwork.com.)

1 pound pasta curls (recommended: campagnelle by Barilla; short fusilli or cavatappi twists may be substituted)
Salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls
Handful parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, quartered and thinly sliced
1 onion, quartered then thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
12 crimini mushrooms (baby portabellos), thinly sliced
Black pepper
1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Loaf of crusty breadPreheat broiler.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and salt the water.

While the water boils combine ricotta, Parmigiano, parsley and pepperoni in a large bowl and reserve.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute 6 to 8 minutes until tender and mushrooms are dark. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to low.

Add a ladle of starchy cooking water to the ricotta just before you drain the pasta. Drain pasta then toss with ricotta and pepperoni mixture. Pour pasta into a baking dish and top evenly with peppers, onion and mushroom sauce. Top with a layer of mozzarella, oregano and red pepper flakes. Place under hot broiler and melt cheese until golden and bubbly. Remove and serve with crusty bread.

Pasta Bake

Anyone remember when Prego made a Pasta Bake sauce? If so, and you were sad like me when they randomly discontinued it, have no fear! Thanks to the magic of the internet, my family learned that you don't need the Pasta Bake sauce to make a baked pasta. (Go figure.) If you don't know what Prego Pasta Bake is, don't worry. You'll still like this recipe, I bet.

Easiest Baked Pasta Ever.

1 bag dried pasta (12 or 16 oz)
1 large jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I think Prego is the best tasting canned sauce)
1 jar of water (just refill the pasta jar)
shredded cheese

Spray an 8 1/2 x 11 pan with no-stick cooking spray. Dump in uncooked pasta, sauce, and water. Mix well. Cover with foil and bake in 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. Then, remove foil and top with shredded cheese. Don't re-cover, just put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

You could probably do this with homemade pasta sauce too. You'd just have to figure out how much to use. If your sauce is more watery, you might use less water and vice versa.

Tortellini Soup

My uncle makes this, and Kiersten requested that I add it here, since I copied the recipe from him. Enjoy!

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 large (30 oz) can whole tomatoes (I like to use the chopped tomatoes)
1 can great northern beans OR navy beans
1 box frozen chopped spinach
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup dried tortellini
fresh parsley (I guess I forgot to write the amount down on this--just add to taste)
Parmesan cheese

Saute onion and pepper in olive oil until just tender. Add tomatoes, beans, spinach, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, then add the tortellini and parsley. Cook until tortellini are tender. Serve w/ Parmesan.

Pasta with Bacon, Onion ,Tomato, and Bay Leaves

This recipe was adapted from one Rachal Ray made. Kara saw the show and made it for us for dinner today. I thought it was delicious and very easy to make.
We took pictures, but they didn't turn out too well
Pam and Kara

Pasta With Bacon, Onion, Tomato and Bay Leaves

1 pound rigatoni with lines
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
8 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus some to pass at the table
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (optional)

Place a large pot filled with water over high heat and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve.While the pasta water is coming up to a boil, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Once hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the onion, bay leaf and garlic, and continue to cook for about 3-4 more minutes. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes, bring up to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes.Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl, top with the sauce and the cheese and toss to coat. Serve with some cheese to pass at the table.
Yields 4 servings