Sauce:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped & divided
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
2 14 oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 carton fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 of the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly for one minute. Blend up remaining onions and red pepper in food processor until mostly smooth. Add mixture to the garlic & onions, stir to combine cooking another minute. Add spices, paste, tomatoes, mushrooms, stock, & brown sugar. Stir to combine, bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar.
NOTE: The sauce will seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour. I've let it simmer on the stove for up to three hours before with no problems.
Meatballs:
1 pound meat (any combination of beef & pork)
1 onion, grated fine
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1 dash franks red hot sauce (or to taste)
1 1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup skim milk (can use ricotta if you'd like)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place meat in mixing bowl and season with onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended. form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place onto a baking sheet. Bake until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meatballs can be simmered in sauce or sauce can be poured over the top of meatballs. Meatballs can be frozen and reheated. They can also be formed into any size ball. Just adjust cooking time accordingly.
Showing posts with label Main Dish - Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Main Dish - Pasta. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Bow Tie Lasagna
Ingredients:
4 oz. bow tie pasta
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz. soft-style cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 lb. lean ground meat
1 clove garlic, minced
15 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
Topping:
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a large saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes or just until tender. Drain and set aside. I a medium mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Set aside. Preheat large skillet and stir-fry meat and garlic until meat is brown. Stir in spaghetti sauce and cooked noodles. Do not stir. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until heated thoroughly.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella
Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.
Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.
Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.
Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.
Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
*The casserole can be prepared in advance with the following steps: after the broccoli is removed from the boiling water, plunge it into a bowl of ice water and cool completely. Assemble the casserole following the directions in the recipe. After the casserole is spread in the prepared baking pan, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Fettucini Alfredo
Ingredients:
- 1 percent milk
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- Parmesean cheese
- Low fat cream cheese
Directions:
Start by melting 1 Tablespoon of low fat margarine in a pot. Chop up your garlic and add it too the butter when it's melted and saute it for about 30 seconds. Next, you're going to add the flour. When the flour, butter and garlic mix together it is going to form a crumbly, pasty mixture called a roux. Now, you are going to add the milk. You will probably need about 2 cups. So, start by adding about half of your milk. Take a whisk and just start stirring until you get the lumps out. The flour will make it thicken, so when it starts to get thick, just add more milk. You are going to have it on Medium High heat here. So, just stir, stir, stir, stir until you have a good creamy consistency. Time to add the cream cheese. You want 2 to 3 tablespoons, or about half the container. Slap it into the pot, and stir until it is melted in. It should be really creamy now. Time to add the parmesean cheese. And NO, you CANNOT use the stuff in a can!!! Use FRESH! Add about 2-3 tablespoons. Again, stir it in and just taste it. If you want to add more cheese, add it. Now add some salt and pepper to taste. Lots of pepper! Toss with the cooked noodles and add meat of your choice and you are good to go!
- 1 percent milk
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- Parmesean cheese
- Low fat cream cheese
Directions:
Start by melting 1 Tablespoon of low fat margarine in a pot. Chop up your garlic and add it too the butter when it's melted and saute it for about 30 seconds. Next, you're going to add the flour. When the flour, butter and garlic mix together it is going to form a crumbly, pasty mixture called a roux. Now, you are going to add the milk. You will probably need about 2 cups. So, start by adding about half of your milk. Take a whisk and just start stirring until you get the lumps out. The flour will make it thicken, so when it starts to get thick, just add more milk. You are going to have it on Medium High heat here. So, just stir, stir, stir, stir until you have a good creamy consistency. Time to add the cream cheese. You want 2 to 3 tablespoons, or about half the container. Slap it into the pot, and stir until it is melted in. It should be really creamy now. Time to add the parmesean cheese. And NO, you CANNOT use the stuff in a can!!! Use FRESH! Add about 2-3 tablespoons. Again, stir it in and just taste it. If you want to add more cheese, add it. Now add some salt and pepper to taste. Lots of pepper! Toss with the cooked noodles and add meat of your choice and you are good to go!
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