Penna alla Vodka

My kids have been loving this recipe over our little stint at home.  Original Recipe HERE.

Ingredients:
16 oz penna pasta
2 T. butter
2 t. garlic
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz can whole tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. chopped parsley

Instructions:
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water til soft
2. Prepare the sauce. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Place the tomatoes in a blender and puree until smooth. Pout tomato puree into the pan.
4. Add vodka to pan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
5. Stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer another 5 minutes or until thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (optional), then serve.

Enjoy!

Bolognese

from Real Simple January 2019

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 yellow onions, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1 1/2 lb. ground pork
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz. can tomato puree
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/5 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over med-high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7-8 minutes. Add beef and pork (I usually pre-cook the beef, so I just add pork to cook through, then I add pre-cooked beef), stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink and just cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Add wine and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid reduces by half, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato puree, whole tomatoes and their juices, basil, bay leaves, salt and crushed red pepper, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to 8 cups, about 1 1/2 hours.

Discard bay leaves and stir in vinegar. Store tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Pasta Pie

A favorite main course when we celebrate Pi Day on March 14th each year. This recipe was found on Noble Pig.

Ingredients:
1 lb Rigatoni
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 28oz can good quality crushed tomatoes
butter, for pan
salt
1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
8 oz. coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone. Make sure to use a big enough pot. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1T. olive oil to coat. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 t. salt and pepper. Cook 2 more minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.

Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes, filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes can be tricky.  I like to use chopsticks. This can also be VERY time consuming so plan accordingly to get all the sauce into the pasta.

Place in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Quick Red Sauce and Pasta

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion
1/4 oz oregano
2 cloves garlic
pinch chili flakes
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
6 oz. pasta

Instructions:
1. Dice onion, mince garlic, pick leaves off oregano and finely chop.

2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a marge pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, half the oregano     and pinch of chili flakes. Cook 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add 1 can tomatoes and 1/2 t. sugar.
Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer til thickened, about 10 minutes.

4. Cook pasta, drain and reserve 1/2 cup cooking water.

5. Toss pasta into pan, coating with sauce. Add water if sauce needs it. Season with salt and pepper. Top with extra oregano and enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

recipe from Creatively Comestic.com
Kinsey said, "Mom, this is the best thing you've ever made!" She loved it!

Ingredients:
5 cups of chicken broth
One 10.75 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
One 15 oz can whole kernal corn, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup Egg Noodles
2 cups cooked chicken or 2 cans canned cooked chicken

Instructions:
Add everything but the noodles and cooked chicken to the crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. The last hour turn on high and add noodles and chicken.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

(from Real Simple May 2010)

Ingredients:
20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12-ounce box)
1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
2 15-ounce containers ricotta
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 oz)
salt and pepper
1 cup grated mozzerella

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain and run under cold water until cool.
2. Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
3. In a bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, Parmesean 1/2 t. salt and 1/3 t. pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with mossarella and bake until the shells are heated through, 10-12 minutes. Bake until cheese begins to melt.

Serve with side salad and garlic bread, if desired.

(Instructions tell you to broil too, an additional 2-5 minutes, until cheese turns a little brown. I did not do this, but maybe will try another time. You could also add other veggies to the ricotta mixture, like brocolli or whatever.)

Bowtie Pasta with Basil and Tomato Sauce

(modified recipe from Barilla Pasta).

This is a winner with Emerson.

Ingredients:
1/2 box bowtie pasta (I like the mini kind for Emerson)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T onion, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 leaves fresh basil, torn
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:
Add oil and onions to medium saute pan and heat over medium high heat. Saute for 3 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Saute the tomatoes until the skins are blistered and the flesh is heated through. season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the bowtie pasta according to directions on package.
Remove tomatoes from hear, puree all or part of the sauce in a blender on high. Return puree to sauce pan.
Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Stir in the basiil and mozzerella cheese. You can add other veggies or corn if you like.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Maureen has mentioned this a couple times on her blog and it is super yummy and very creamy. Kinsey said it was too cheesy, Emerson ate a huge amount. I think Kinsey will come around so it's a keeper.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups warm milk
16 oz shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is yummy!)
1 pound cooked elbow macaroni (I used wagon wheel so Emerson can eat it)

Instructions:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk until flour is evenly distributed. Add warm milk and whisk till thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese one cup at a time. Put cooked macaroni in a baking dish. Pour milk/cheese mixture over noodles and stir well.

You can top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, if you prefer. Mix in yummy peas, corn or chicken, whatever you prefer.

Carmen's Caper

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb spagetti
19 oz crushed tomatoes
10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheese


Instructions:
1. Brown Beef with onion, salt and pepper
2. Cook spagetti
3. Assemble casserole in layer in a greased 13 x 19 pan
Grated Cheese - TOP
Mushroom Soup
Tomatoes
Spagetti
Beef-BOTTOM
4. Cook uncovered @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Ravioli with Pumpkin Sage Sauce

(from Buitoni Pasta)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used 2 T. butter instead)
1/4 cup shallots
1 container (10 oz) alfredo sauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 T chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp. ground sage
2 packages (9 oz. each) four cheese ravioli (about 5 cups)
2 T. chopped green onion (take it or leave it)

Instructions:
Cook wine (or butter) ans shallots in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Stir in sauce, pumpkin and sage. Cook, stirrin occasionally, until heated through. Prepare pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Stir reserved water into sauce; toss with pasta. Sprinkle with green onion and season with ground black pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Turkey Meatballs

(From Cooking Light Magazine)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb turkey meat


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375
Combine 1 lb ground turkey breast with all ingredients in a bowl then shape into about 18 meatballs ( I think I usually get 24) This works great in my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!!
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add meatballs and brown on all sides.
Remove meatballs from skillet and transfer to a broiler pan (I use a regular cookie sheet with a rim) coated with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes or until done.


To Freeze:
Follow cooking directions, then allow meatballs to cool to room temperature. Place on a baking sheet, making sure they don't touch one another, and place in freezer for one hour. Next, transfer meatballs to an airtight container, and store in freezer. Thaw meatballs in fridge, then bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until heated.