NO-BOIL STUFFED SHELLS
This comes from the Food Network, and begins, “No more wrangling slippery shells. This recipe lets you skip the step of boiling your pasta before stuffing it with cheese. Just fill the shells straight out of the box (it's much easier!) and let the sauce turn them plump and tender in the oven.”
Level: Easy; Total: 1 hr 30 min; Active: 20 min; Yield: 8 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
1 pound ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
One 8-ounce bag part-skim shredded mozzarella (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
One 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the garlic, egg, ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Fold to combine. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4-inch hole in the corner.
Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the ricotta mixture into the shells and arrange them opening-side up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and 1 1/2 cups water.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and bake until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes. Top with the remaining parsley before serving.
MACARONI AND CHEESE CARBONARA
This comes from the Food Network kitchen, and begins, “The best parts of the traditional Italian dish Spaghetti Carbonara are found in this baked mac and cheese: richness from the bacon, creaminess from grated cheese and spice from the black pepper.”
Level: Easy; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Inactive Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 8 to 12 servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups)
3 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it is crispy and most of the fat has been rendered, about 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour the fat into a small heat-safe measuring cup. Add enough olive oil to total 1/4 cup of fat. Reserve.
Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and 2 teaspoons pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Add the macaroni and the reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if needed. Gently fold in the bacon and 3/4 of the sliced scallions. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Toss the bread crumbs with the reserved bacon-fat mixture and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve.
SKILLET SPAGHETTI
This is from Linda Larsen from The Spruce Eats. Linda wrote, “Skillet Spaghetti is a wonderful recipe that is very efficient. The spaghetti pasta cooks right in the sauce. That means you don't have to boil a big pot of water to cook the pasta. You'll love this simple five ingredient recipe and it will probably become a regular dish on your meal rotation.
“Be sure to stir this dish for Skillet Spaghetti frequently as the pasta begins to soften, separating the strands carefully with your spoon. The pasta tends to stick together as it cooks in the sauce. You don't want to bite into some undercooked spaghetti!
“You could use your own homemade meatballs or use precooked frozen meatballs to this easy recipe. As a bonus, the pasta has a wonderful flavor since it soaks up all the herbs and spices from the sauce.
“I sometimes like to start this recipe by cooking a chopped onion and some garlic in a bit of olive oil. Then add the pasta sauce and the water and continue with the recipe. In fact, you could add other vegetables too, such as shredded carrots or chopped zucchini, just to get some more nutrition into the dish.
“Serve this dish with some toasted garlic bread and a green salad tossed with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. An Italian salad dressing would be perfect on the salad.”
Total Time: 40 mins; Prep Time: 10 mins; Cook: 30 mins; Yield: Serves 4
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) jar pasta sauce
1-1/2 cups water
24 frozen precooked meatballs
1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti pasta, broken in half
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a 12" skillet, combine the spaghetti sauce and water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the meatballs, still frozen, and the spaghetti and stir well, making sure the spaghetti is all underneath the sauce, completely covered in it. If necessary, you can add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to make sure that all of the pasta is covered.
Bring to a boil again, cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. As the pasta cooks, you will need to stir more often to make sure that the spaghetti doesn't stick together and to make sure the sauce doesn't burn as it cooks. The moisture in the sauce is really depleted by the pasta, so be careful about this. You may add more water or tomato sauce if the mixture appears to be too dry.
Cook until spaghetti is al dente and meatballs are hot. Top with both kinds of cheese and serve immediately.
POT LUCK PASTA SALAD (KID-FRIENDLY
This was in a Weight Watchers' email several years ago. The program has changed, but I'm using the values from when this was sent.
This recipe begins, “This colorful salad has something for everyone. If you’re short on time, buy the ingredients already cut from a salad bar and use your favorite bottled fat-free Italian dressing.”
POINTS® Value: 3; Servings: 12; Preparation Time: 30 minutes; Cooking Time: 15 minutes; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, corkscrew shape (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, wheel shaped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 oz olives, canned, sliced, black (about 10 medium black olives)
1 medium green peppers, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium sweet red peppers, chopped (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes, halved (about 10 tomatoes)
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare salad dressing by mixing together oil, lemon juice, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic in a small bowl; set aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta with vegetables; pour in dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and chill about 2 hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
BAKED SPAGHETTI
This is from the Food Network, and begins, “This mash-up of lasagna and spaghetti with meat sauce makes for a warming one-pan dinner. (And if you start with leftover cooked noodles and meat sauce, you're set for a super-fast weeknight meal.) Assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake when you're ready to serve.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Inactive Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes; Level: Intermediate; Yield: 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/baked-spaghetti-3361814.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces thin spaghetti
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat a second large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring to break the meat up, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes, sugar and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the time indicated in the package directions. Strain well. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cover the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan with a third of the sauce. Add half the pasta and a third of the Cheddar; repeat the layers and add the last of the sauce; reserve the last of the Cheddar.
Bake for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining Cheddar and continue baking until it melts and the sauce bubbles, about 5 more minutes. Let cool in the dish for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with the parsley before cutting into squares.
MEXICAN LASAGNA
This is from tbsp. (Tablespoon.com), and begins, “A delicious twist on lasagna!”
Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Servings: 10
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
6-8 large tortillas
1 lb ground beef
1 packet Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix
1/3 medium onion, diced
1 can (19 oz) Old El Paso™ mild red enchilada sauce
1 can (16 oz) Old El Paso™ refried beans, any type
1 1/2 cup cheddar or mexican blend cheese
3 small or medium tomatoes, diced
Cilantro, as desired
Black olives, as desired
Sour cream, for topping
Shredded lettuce, for topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large non-stick skillet on stove, cook onions and beef until cooked through. Remove skillet from heat, drain off grease and stir in taco seasoning. Set aside.
Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with a thin coat of enchilada sauce. Layer tortilla halves in the bottom of the pan with the cut (straight) sides facing outward toward edges of pan. Cut pieces of another tortilla as needed to fill in any gaps and create a solid tortilla layer in the bottom of the pan.
Continue layering ingredients in the following order, making sure to save enough of each ingredient to form a second layer: refried beans, enchilada sauce, beef and onion mixture, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, and chopped cilantro and black olives (if desired).
Using equal amounts of ingredients as the first layer, form your second layer in the following order: tortillas, beans, enchilada sauce, meat and onions, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro and olives.
Top with a final layer of tortillas, and cover with a thin coating of enchilada sauce and cheese.
Bake lasagna for 30-45 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas start to crisp. Serve with sour cream, lettuce and additional toppings as desired.
