Recipe #333 Basil Spaghetti with #334 Cheese tomatoes

Real Simple has this as one recipe, but i am behind and the count down to May 31st is approaching rather quickly! Will loved the spaghetti and said it is such a great summer pasta. I am sure we will make it again. He is not a huge fan of tomatoes so I don't think we will be doing that too much! I highly recommend making this meal with as much freshness as possible! The tastes are so amazing!

You need:
Half a box of spaghetti noodles
handful of fresh basil
a couple leaves of oregano
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic
grated parmesean

• make noodles according to package directions.
• cut up garlic and add to a small sauce pan along with olive oil and red pepper
• heat for a couple minutes then take off heat.
• mix in with drained noodles until they are evenly coated
• stir in torn basil and oregano, along with a bit of fresh, grated parmesan

for the tomatoes...

you need:

4 roma tomatoes

shredded mozzarella (fresh would have been nice but I was out!)

grated parmesan

• turn on broiler
• lightly coat a foil lined baking pan with olive oil
• arrange sliced tomatoes on the baking sheet then top with the cheeses
• broil for 3-5 minutes
• put on top of spaghetti and enjoy!

Recipe #290: Pasta with spinach, ricotta, and zuchini

I recently went through some old Real Simple magazines to tear out the recipes I wanted to try! I love the recipes in their magazines! The recipe that mine is based off of can also be found here. It was so fresh and delicious! We had some baked sweet potato rounds on the side and that was amazing as usual! :) We had intended to grill the zucchini and sweet potatoes, but our grill was out of gas. :(

You need:
2 zucchini, cut in half then sliced long ways
a couple slices of onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
pasta (I used half a box of linguine)
couple handfuls of fresh spinach
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 spoonfuls of ricotta
crushed red pepper

• cook pasta according to package directions
• meanwhile, cook onion and zucchini in olive oil
• save 1/4 cup of pasta water, drain pasta
• add pasta to pan with zucchini, add spinach, pepper and salt, mix up.
• serve with a spoonful of ricotta and crushed red pepper

Recipe #289: Chicken and Rosemary Pasta

I found the recipe in an old Real Simple Magazine, but you can find it here too. I made some changes, but this was the gist of it! It was a fun way to use some parmesan straight from Italy and fresh rosemary from the garden!

You need:
2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
2+ Tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 box whole wheat rotini pasta
3/4 cups fresh grated parmesan

• heat olive oil and garlic in a pan.
• add sprinkle of rosemary and chicken. pan fry until cooked through.
• shred into smaller pieces
• meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions
• save 11/4 cup pasta water.
• add pasta back to pot. stir in 1/2 cup parmesan, rosemary, chicken, salt and pepper
• cook over low heat until sauce has thickened. top with remaining parmesan

Fresh and Delicious! 

Recipe #284: Cheesy Stuffed Shells

I was needing a recipe to use up the rest of the jumbo shells (the other recipe is here!) so I was looking at another one that was a little more cheesy and found one here. I made some changes, and it was pretty delicious! Unfortunately, Will had used some of the shells earlier so there wasn't as much as I thought! It just meant no leftovers! :)

You need:
8 jumbo shells
1/2 container of ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella
1 cup spinach, chopped
3 Tbsp parmesan
2 tsp parsley
1 cup pasta sauce

• cook jumbo shells according to package directions
• meanwhile, mix up ricotta, mozzarella, spinach and 2 Tbsp parmesan 
• drain noodles and then stuff with cheese mixture
• depending on the amount of noodles (the cheese mixture probably would have been perfect for 12-15 noodles in an 8x8 dish) put in an appropriate dish. I used little gratin dishes.
• mix pasta sauce and remaining Tbsp of parmesan, and spread over noodles.
• heat in oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes

Recipe #267: Stuffed Shells with #268 Balsamic Cole Slaw

I bought big pasta shells the other day to try out a new pasta. It was a lot of fun!

You need:

1/2 box of jumbo pasta shells

1 lb hamburger meat

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup pasta sauce

• brown meat and drain oil
• add a couple spoonfuls of pasta sauce and mix together.
• boil noodles according to package directions.
• add cheese to meat
• add rest of pasta sauce to the bottom of an 8x8 dish
• drain noodles and start to fill with meat mixture
• place in dish and once it is full cover with cheese.
• bake at 350 for about 20 minutes of until cheese is melted.

I had leftover cabbage and carrots so wanted to make a quick cole slaw. I found a balsamic version here.

You need:

1/4 head of cabbage, cut up

1 cup matchstick carrots

green onion

1 tsp garlic powder

red pepper flakes

balsamic vinegar

• cut up cabbage and green onion
• heat in a pan until cabbage gets limp
• add garlic powder, red pepper, and balsamic vinegar
• enjoy!

Recipe #263: Mac and Cheese

This is Will's mom's recipe. She has two in her recipe book: one for when she is in Italy and then her American version! :) We decided to make the Italian version!

You need:
1 box of noodles (we used rottini)
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
cut up ham

• boil noodles according to package directions
• drain and return to pot
• add olive oil and butter
• mix in cheese, salt and pepper
• turn the heat on low so that the cheese will melt.
• add in ham

Recipe #261: Chicken Parmesan

Or "chicky chicky parm parm" as our friend on Parks and Rec loves to say! :)

I made another version found here but this was actually crusted.

You need:
2 chicken breasts cut into three pieces
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
oil
garlic
noodles
pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella

• mix together parmesan and bread crumbs
• coat chicken in flour, then egg, and finally bread crumb mixture
• heat oil and garlic in pan then start to add chicken
• fry until both sides are brown
• place on rack when done
• in at 9x13 dish, layer bottom of pan with pasta sauce
• top with chicken and sprinkle cheese on top
• bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• while baking, cook noodles and enjoy!

Recipe #261: Chicken Parmesan

Or "chicky chicky parm parm" as our friend on Parks and Rec loves to say! :)

I made another version found here but this was actually crusted.

You need:
2 chicken breasts cut into three pieces
2 eggs
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
oil
garlic
noodles
pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella

• mix together parmesan and bread crumbs
• coat chicken in flour, then egg, and finally bread crumb mixture
• heat oil and garlic in pan then start to add chicken
• fry until both sides are brown
• place on rack when done
• in at 9x13 dish, layer bottom of pan with pasta sauce
• top with chicken and sprinkle cheese on top
• bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• while baking, cook noodles and enjoy!

Recipe #230: Pan-Fried Chicken with Tomatoes and Pasta

We were out at Will's game tonight, and all I knew when going that we would have chicken and I was in the mood for something with tomatoes. An hour later, after a well played game but a loss, we headed home, with about 15 minutes to spare until Alex was SUPPOSED to be in bed. Needless to say he went to bed a little late, but this meal was on the table in 15 minutes and it was pretty delicious at that!

You need:
Two chicken breasts
3 roma tomatoes
olive oil
oregano
basil
parsley
whole wheat spaghetti noodles

• heat olive oil in pan.
• cut chicken breasts into smaller pieces. I cut them into three pieces each.
• season chicken with salt and pepper then put in pan.
• brown on both sides, sprinkle oregano, basil, and parsley on top
• heat until internal temp of chicken is 165. 
• cut up tomatoes and add to pan. sprinkle in a little more basil.
• cook until tomatoes are soft.
• meanwhile boil noodles according to package directions.
• we ate the noodles with our alfredo sauce we made yesterday found here. 

It was delicious! Fast and easy too.

Recipe #229: Low Fat Fettuccine Alfredo

Today was one of those days. 

It was foggy, a long day at school, and Alex was testing me big time (he knows I have trouble resisting that twinkle in his eye). So when Will came home I pretty much handed dinner prep off to him saying that I wanted pasta but not with spaghetti sauce. Well, of course that is not much help. So i googled alfredo recipes that only used milk because that is all we had, and i found a decent one here for him to make. In the end it was quite delicious and Will couldn't believe how easy it was to make! (so I am hoping he is willing to make it again!)

You need:
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
3 cups 1% milk
parmesan
fettuccine
broccoli

• melt butter in medium sized sauce pan (will started off with one too small and it overflowed)
• add in flour and stir for one minute
• add milk, salt and nutmeg
• stir constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes add in a couple shakes of parmesan
• while that is going boil water for noodles
• cook noodles according to package directions. In last couple minutes add broccoli in to heat up.
• drain water
• add noodles and broccoli to a bowl then mix in alfredo sauce
• sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella cheese if you want! :)

It was perfect!

Recipe #209: Arrabiatta

A delicious Italian dish that literally means "angry"! Love it. It is angry because of the heat! It is a quick meal that I was fortunate enough to have all of the ingredients on hand!

You need:
pasta of your choice
can of diced tomatoes
8-10 strips of turkey bacon
1 onion, diced
hot sauce
crushed red pepper

• start water for pasta and boil according to package directions
• in a pan fry the bacon
• after taking out bacon add a little olive oil to pan and saute onions
• break up bacon into small pieces and add back to onion
• add can of diced tomatoes 
• once pasta is ready, drain and put back in pot. 
• add bacon mixture to pasta and mix up
• add as much hot sauce and crushed red pepper as you want!

Recipes #190 & #191: Lasagna Soup in a Bread Bowl

I found the Lasagna recipe on pinterest, but is originally found here, thanks to the Deen brothers it is a lighter version of Paula Deen's recipe. However, I don't know how many calories we actually saved by using a bread bowl.
Anyways. First up, the bread bowl.
You need:
boule bread dough found here

• tear off smaller sections of dough then normal--a little bigger then a fist size
• allow to rest for 45 minutes
• bake for about 30 minutes
• cool for several minutes then cut off the top of the bread. scoop out some of the bread inside and leave on the plate to use to dip in soup

once bread is resting start the soup. 

For the Lasagna Soup you need:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 italian sausages, casing removed

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped up

sprinkle of red pepper flakes

16 oz of chicken broth (i used water and chicken bullion) 

1 can (8 oz) of tomato sauce

1 can of petite diced tomatoes with green chilies

4 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken up

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

sprinkle of parmesan and basil

• heat olive oil up in a pot. Add in chopped up onion and garlic
• Add sausages (casings removed) and mix up until sausage is crumbled and browned.
• add in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes
• stir. sprinkle in red pepper flakes.
• bring to a boil and the reduce heat to simmer.
• add in noodles and cook for 12-15 more minutes
• remove from heat and add cheeses

pour a some into the bread bowls and wish it was colder outside to really enjoy the nice warm, hearty soup! :)

Recipe #175: Baked Pasta and Sausage

hmmm...a fun way to use leftovers...create another recipe! We had a lot of broccoli and sausage leftover from the day before but not too many noodles, so this became the perfect one person meal I needed since Will was gone!

You need:
1 cup of spaghetti sauce
bowtie noodles
leftover sausage and broccoli from last night's meal
mozzarella cheese

• heat up pasta according to package directions
• mix spaghetti sauce with sausage and broccoli
• drain noodles then add to mixture. 
• pour into two small dishes 
• top with cheese
• bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Recipe #174: Sausage and Broccoli Fettuccine

Starting to experiment with some sausage recipes...I have to admit I don't love the taste of Italian Sausage, but it is fun to taste new things! It is a spin off from a recipe I found here.

You need:
4 links of Italian Sausage
one onion
1/2 box of fettuccine
one small bag of broccoli
parmesan and mozzarella
spices: rosemary, basil, red pepper flakes, parsley

• boil pasta according to package directions
• cut sausages into smaller pieces
• in a fry pan, heat up some olive oil and saute onions
• add sausage and cook
• sprinkle in some rosemary, basil and parsley
• add in broccoli parmesan and cover to steam 
• once pasta is done cooking mix together with sausage and broccoli. 
• Top with some red pepper flakes and mozzarella

Recipe #167: Turkey Lasagna Roll-Ups

I found this recipe for Lasagna Roll-ups somewhere--I think maybe the woman's day app, and it gave me the idea to use up some more turkey in a fun way.

You need:
6-9 lasagna noodles
shredded turkey
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce
mozzarella

• boil noodles according to package directions
• meanwhile, heat up spaghetti sauce and turkey together
• preheat oven to 350
• take a noodle, add a bit of turkey mixture and cheese on top. 
• roll up into a small roll-- my 8x8 dish fit about 6 
• spoon any remaining turkey mixture on top. sprinkle on a small layer of cheese
• bake for 15 minutes

Recipe #151: Stovetop Lasagna

This meal was created because we were hungry...and there wasn't much time!

You need:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 small bag broccoli
1 cup tomato sauce
1 box of lasagna noodles ( I did a mix of regular and spinach flavored)

• boil water for noodles, then cook according to directions on box
• in a large fry pan, brown meat
• add diced tomatoes
• steam broccoli right at the end 
• add tomato sauce
• drain noodles and pour in large bowl
• add meat and veggies and mix together

It was a fun, fast, and delicious meal! Alex loved it too (and enjoyed the left overs for a day or two after)!

Recipe #121: Pasta Salad

So for lunch today I was going to make spaghetti and and a toss salad. Using almost the same ingredients I made a very different yet delicious meal!

First up: Pasta Salad


This recipe made a ton, so you may want to cut it in half.
You need:
1 box rotini pasta
1 small onion
2 zucchini
1/2 cucumber
2 roma tomatoes
Italian dressing

• cut up veggies.
• saute zucchini and onion, (you don't have to do onion, but will doesn't like it raw) towards the end I added in a little of the italian dressing
• boil pasta
• Add all veggies and pasta to a large bowl. Mix with as much or little Italian dressing as you want.

Recipe #37: Baked Spaghetti

To go with our loaf of bread I had to make something to complement it! Baked Spaghetti was a dish that a missionary friend made quite often and was my brother's favorite. It had been a long while since i had eaten it, but enjoyed it very much and have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow!

You need:

16 oz. Jar of spagetti sauce
A box of spaghetti noodles (Don't overcook because they also cooks in oven).
2 cup cheddar cheese (actually I used mozzarella )
1 can cream soup
¼ cup water
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Italian Seasoning and dried parsley flakes

• Place ½ of cooked spagetti in in greased 9x13 pan.
• Top with ½ of meat sauce. 
• Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers. 
• Mix soup & water and pour over casserole. 
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese & a little Italian Seasoning & parsley flakes. 
• Bake uncovered 35 minutes at 350. 
• You can also ½ this recipe. (which is what I will probably do next time)

Recipe #21: Chicken Au Gratin

In Japan, they have the most wonderful Dorias and Gratins. In Japan Gratin is usually make of of noodles with a nice cheesy sauce. Doria is very similar but with rice instead. Well, I was desiring some of that warm, cheesy goodness, so I looked in my cupboards and mixed it all together with a hope and a prayer that it would turn out. So when Will looked at it on the table and said, "it looks good" I was relieved that there was some hope!

You need:
box of noodles (I used rigatoni)
a jar of alfredo sauce
cooked, shredded chicken
mozzarella
pinch of paprika

Cook noodles according to package directions. Also boil chicken and shred when it cools.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a 9x13 pan mix together noodles, alfredo, and chicken.
Add shredded mozzarella on top.
Bake for 15 minutes.

It was not quite as cheesy as the Au Gratin in Japan, but still satisfied that craving!