Lasagna Roll-ups

2 cups marinara sauce

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

8 oz ground sausage, cooked and crumbled small

10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed well

15 oz ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

kosher salt and fresh pepper

mozzarella cheese, shredded 

Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish. Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain.

Combine cooked sausage, spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a medium bowl and mix.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take about 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle remaining sauce over the noodles and top each one with mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake at 350* for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls. 

Recipe adapted and image from skinnytaste.com

Tomato and Mozzarella Baked Penne

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 14oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lb. penne pasta
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
2/3 c. parmesan

Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and cook over med-high heat for 1 min. Add tomatoes and seasoning and simmer rapidly, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 15 min. Add salt & pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Toss pasta with sauce. Place 1/2 of pasta in a greased 9x13 baking dish (or 2-8x8's). Cover with half of mozzarella and parmesan. Top with remaining pasta and cheeses. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

adapted from annies-eats.com

Asparagus Linguine

3 c. (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 lb.)
1 (16 oz.) pkg. linguine (or similiar pasta)
4 slices bacon
1 c. chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 T. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. shredded parmesan

Cook bacon in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until crisp; cool slightly. Remove bacon from the pan, reserving 2 tsp. drippings in pan. Crumble bacon.
Steam asparagus. Cook pasta according to pasta package directions.  Meanwhile, continue with the recipe.  Drain pasta when done and set aside.
Add onion, garlic, and oregano to bacon drippings in the pan; saute 4 min. or until onion is lightly browned.
Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes.
Add broth, bring to a boil, and cook for 2-5 min. to desired consistency.
Stir in butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and remove from heat.  Place asparagus and pasta mixture in a large bowl; add tomato mixture and liquid, tossing well.
Top with bacon and shredded cheese.  Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Pizza Dough

1 cup water PLUS
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients in pan in order listed or as directed per machine instructions. Select white dough cycle. Makes two 12 inch regular crusts, one 16 inch deep dish crust, or 4 personal-sized crusts. Top with desired toppings and bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes or until crust is light brown.

Italian Swiss Steak

¼ c. flour
2 lbs tenderized beef round steak, cut into serving-size pieces
¼ c. butter
1 can diced tomatoes
⅛ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
⅛ tsp. pepper
¾ c. chopped green pepper
¾ cups chopped onion
6 oz. shredded Mozzarella


Optional: marinate steak in Itallian dressing or other marinade.  Place flour in a large, resealable plastic bag. Add beef, a couple of pieces at a time, and shake to coat. Remove meat from the bag , shaking off the excess flour.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown steak on both sides in butter. Add the tomatoes, salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover, turn meat, and re-coat the tops of the steak with the surrounding sauce. Add green pepper and onion. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes or until vegetables and steak are tender. Turn off heat and sprinkle each steak with shredded cheese. Replace the cover for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts. Serves 6-8.

Carbonara

1 lb. bowtie pasta
1 lb. bacon
1 c. mushrooms, sliced or chopped (optional)
1 onion, chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (less or more according to preference)
1 c. chicken broth
2 egg yolks
1 c. parmesan cheese, divided
½ c. cream or milk
1 Tbs. parsley
Pepper to taste
Optional: diced cooked chicken

Cook pasta according to package directions. Saute bacon, cooking until about half-way done, then add onion and mushrooms. When bacon is almost done, add garlic and cayenne and cook until bacon is crisp. Add chicken broth and simmer until it’s reduced by half. Stir in chicken if desired.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, 2/3 c. parmesan, cream, parsley, and pepper together. Slowly add a ladle full of pasta water to it to temper the eggs. Combine cream mixture and bacon mixture. Let simmer a couple of minutes until it thickens. Add to pasta, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.  Serves 6-8 adults.

Open-Faced Italian Subs

French or Italian bread loaf cut in half lengthwise
½ packet dry Italian dressing seasoning
1 cube butter, melted
2 types of sliced meat (ham, turkey, roast beef, salami, etc.)
Sliced tomatoes
Olives
Red onions
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Cut bread in half the long direction. Spread with mixture of Italian dressing and melted butter. Add meat. Spread on remaining dressing mixture. Add tomatoes, olives and red onions. Cover with cheese. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes on a foil-covered cookie sheet.

Pepperoni Pasta Bake

2 c. dry wagon wheel, fiori, or similar pasta (6 oz.)
1 can italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/3 c. tomato paste (1/2 of a 6oz. can)
¼ c. red wine (or grape juice)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. sugar
8 oz. sausage
½ c. chopped onion
¼ c. chopped green pepper
½ c. chopped pepperoni (1/2 of a 3.5oz. pkg.)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta following package directions. Drain, cover, and keep warm. (A little olive oil will prevent pasta from sticking to itself.) In a blender or food processor combine tomatoes, tomato paste, grape juice, basil, and sugar. Process till smooth. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. In a large skillet cook sausage, onion, and green pepper. Drain fat. Add sausage mixture and pepperoni to tomato sauce. Stir. Add in the cooked pasta. Stir together. Place mixture in an 8x8 pan. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375° until cheese is melted.

Fettuccine Alfredo

8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
½ c. butter
½ c. heavy whipping cream
¾ c. grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp. salt
dash of pepper
chopped fresh parsley (opt.)

Cook fettuccine in salted water. For alfredo sauce, heat the butter and whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper until mixture is smooth. Drain fettuccine. Pour sauce over noodles and stir until well coated. Sprinkle with parsley. Add in cooked chicken if desired.

Ravioli and Cheese Bake

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1/4 cup italian dressing
2 (13 oz) pkg.'s frozen cheese ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, broth, and dressing in a bowl. Place fresh or frozen ravioli in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over ravioli and mix lightly. Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 1 hr. Remove foil, stir a little if needed, and sprinkle with cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese melts, or turn off oven and place dish back in oven till cheese melts.

Baked Penne With Mornay Sauce

1/2 lb of penne pasta
1/2 onion, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or milk
fresh ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch salt
½ cup grated Romano cheese

Cook Penne in salted water till al dente, about 11 minutes. Melt butter in sauce pan, soften onions, and add flour stirring constantly to make a roux, about 1-2 min, (mixture should be a pale yellow color and foamy looking, do not brown it). Slowly stir in chicken stock, bring to boil. Add heavy cream, stir constantly, return to boil, then simmer a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with fresh ground pepper and nutmeg (do not add salt yet). Remove from heat. Add shredded cheese. Taste, adjust seasonings, add salt if necessary. Combine with Penne. Pour into a casserole dish; top with breadcrumbs or more grated cheese if desired. Bake at 350° till warmed through.

Calzones

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 T. olive oil
1 t. white sugar
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. all-purpose flour, divided
1 t. olive oil

1 ½ c. shredded Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese
½ c. pepperoni
½ c. cooked Italian sausage
½ c. sliced fresh mushrooms
½ c. sliced green peppers
dried basil leaves
1 egg, beaten

To Make Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 c. of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour, until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 t. olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise until almost doubled.

When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 3 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/3 of the toppings and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.


Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Serve hot with pizza sauce.