Tortilla pizza margherita

serves 2
 yum yum yum!

Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla [10 inch]
1 t olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 c Italian 5 cheese blend/ mozzarella cheese
1 large plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 T parmesan cheese
1/4 black or red pepper
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:
Heat oven to 450F.

Place tortilla on baking sheet; brush with oil. top with all remaining ingredients except basil
Bake 8-10 min or til tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

from my friend Lindsay

Ingredients
12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 ounces fresh salted mozzarella
12 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

Auntie Etta's Spaghetti Sauce

From Sam's sweet aunt. We LOVE this sauce!

Cook:

1 lb. hamburger

1 lb. jimmy dean hot sausage

When cooked add...

2-3 T crushed Italian seasoning (the spice not the dressing)

1 large onion chopped fine

7-8 cloves of garlic smashed and chopped

1 large green pepper chopped fine

1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms

Add it all to the meat to cook a bit

Add:

4 (15 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes

4 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 small cans tomato paste

a little crushed red pepper flakes

a little lowry's seasoning salt

May need  a little salt and pepper

Stir & let cook all day.  The longer it cooks the better it is!

Chicken Tetrazzini Florentine

from Kraft
serves 6

Ingredients:
1/2 lb spaghetti, broken into thirds
1 pkg (6 oz) baby spinach leaves
1 onion, chopped
3 T butter
1 pkg (8 oz) fresh, sliced mushrooms
3 T flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
2 c shredded cooked chicken
1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Italian cheese and herb cooking creme
6 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to boiling water for last minute.
3. Cook & stir in butter in large skillet 5 min. Stir in mushrooms, cook and stir 4 mins or til mushrooms release liquid. Add flour; cook and stir 1 min. Add broth; cook and stir 4 mins or til thickened.
4. Drain spaghetti in colander. Add mushrooms mixture, chicken, cooking creme and 3 T Parmesan; mix well. Pour into 13x9 dish sprayed w/ cooking spray; cover.
5. Bake 25 min. Top w/ mozzarella and remaining Parmesan; bake, uncovered, 8-10 min or til spaghetti is hot & bubbly and mozzarella is melted.

Mediterranean Lasagna

Ingredients
12 lasagna noodles
1 package (19.76 oz) Italian links (casings removed) or (16 oz) Italian sausage (I like Johnsonville best)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T chopped garlic
1 jar (45 oz) pasta sauce
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg
2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 c chopped fresh spinach, packed
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain & set aside. Saute Italian sausage, onion and garlic in skillet until sausage is browned, drain. Add pasta sauce to sausage mixture and set aside. In medium bowl, blend ricotta cheese, eggs, and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese & set aside.

Coat 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray and spread 1 cup of sausage mixture on the bottom. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread 1/4 c of ricotta cheese mixture on the noodles and layer with 1 c of sausage mixture. Sprinkle 1 c of spinach and 1/2 c mozzarella cheese. Repeat this whole process 3 more times starting w/ noodles; top w/ 1/4 c Parmesan cheese to finish.

Bake uncovered at 350F for 45 mins until hot & bubbly. Let stand 10 mins before cutting.

Alfredo Bacon Mushroom Pizza

serves 8

Ingredients:
1 loaf (1 lb) frozen pizza dough, thawed
1/2 lb bacon strips
1 c Alfredo sauce (I prefer the roasted garlic kind)
1 1/2 c (6 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan
2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 t pepper

Directions:
Roll dough into 15 in circle; transfer to greased 14 in pizza pan and build up edges slightly. Bake at 425 F for 6-8 min or until browned. Meanwhile in large skillet; cook bacon just until done. Drain on paper towels; cut into 1 inch pieces.

Spread alfredo sauce over crust; sprinkle w/ cheese. But mushrooms into 1/2 inch strips; place over cheese so they resemble spokes of wheel. Sprinkle w/ bacon and pepper. Bake for 10-15 mins or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Worth it Lasagna

From Taste of Home: Italian Favorites
makes 2 casseroles (12 servings each)

Ingredients:
2 jars (26 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c Burgundy wine
2 T brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
3/4 c raisins
1 1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cartons (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 package (10 oz), frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 packages (24 oz) frozen ravioli
1 c shredded Parmesan cheese
18 slices provolone cheese, cut in half
6 c (24 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 large tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
In Dutch oven, bring first 5 ingredients to boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 20 min, stirring often.

In large skillet, cook sausage over med heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in raisins and Italian seasoning add to sauce. In same skillet, saute mushrooms and onion until moisture has evaporated. Stir into sauce. In large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, spinach and grated Parmesan cheese; set aside.

In each of two greased 13 x 9 baking dishes, latyer w/ 1 1/3 c sauce, half of a package of ravioli, 1 1/3 c sauce, 1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese, six 1/2 slices of provolone cheese, 1 c Monterey Jack cheese and 2 1/2 c spinach mixture.

Top each with six 1/2 slices of provolone cheese, 1 c Monterey Jack cheese, 1 1/3 c sauce, remaining ravioli and sauce, 1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese, six 1/2 slices of provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes and remaining Monterey Jack cheese (dishes will be full).

Cover and bake at 375 F for 45 mins. Uncover, bake 10-15 mins longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 mins before serving.

Nutritional Jazz: 483 calories; 24 g fat; 13 g sat fat; 102 mg cholesterol; 1081 mg sodium; 36 g carbs; 4 g fiber; 31 g protein

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

from Taste of Home: Italian Favorites
serves 8

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant
2 small zucchini
5 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 large sweet red pepper
1 large onion, cut into small wedges
1/4 c olive oil
3 T, minced fresh basil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 t salt, divided
1/2 t pepper, divided
2/3 c pitted Greek olives, pitted
1/4 c butter, cubed
1/4 c flour
2 3/4 c milk
1 bay leaf
1/8 t ground nutmeg
5 T grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 T shredded Asiago cheese
3/4 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 no-cook lasagna noodles

Directions:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and red pepper into 1 inch pieces; place in a large bowl. Add onion, oil, 2 T basil, garlic, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper; toss. Transfer to two greased 15 x 10 x 1 pans. Bake at 450 F for 20-25 mins or until tender crisp. Stir in olives.

In large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Add bay leaf and nutmeg. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or til thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 T Parmesan, Asiago, remaining basil, salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

Spread a forth of the sauce in greased 11 x 7 baking dish. Top w/ 2 1/3 c veggies, 1/4 c mozzarella and 3 noodles. Repeat layers. Top w/ a forth of the sauce, remaining veggies, mozzarella, sauce, and Parmesan. Cover and bake at 375F for 30-40 min or until bubbly. Let stand 15 mins before serving.

Nutritional jazz: 344 calories; 22 g fat; 8 g sat fat; 34 mg cholesterol; 590 mg sodium; 3 g fiber; 11 g protein

Bruschetta

from All-Time Favorite Family recipes serves 12 Ingredients: 

Seasoning Oil 

 1/3 c olive oil 

 4 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 t dried basil leaves, chopped 

 1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes 

 Tomato topping 

 1 1/2 lb plum tomatoes, chopped 

2 T dried basil 

 1 T balsamic vinegar 

 1 T olive oil 

 1/2 t salt 

 1/4 t pepper 

 1 loaf French bread (8 oz), split horizontally smal

fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional) 

  Directions: 

1. Prepare seasoning oil: heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, basil and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, 5-7 mins or until garlic is golden. Cook the oil and strain. 

 2. Meanwhile, prepare tomato topping: stir together tomatoes, basil, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in large bowl. 

 3. Heat oven to 500F (or broil) 

 4. Brush sides of split bread w/ about 2 T of seasoning oil. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 mins or until golden. 

 5. Slice toast bread into 2 in widths and arrange onto large serving platter. Spoon tomato topping over and garnish w/ fresh basil leaves. 

  Nutritional Jazz: 140 cal; 20 g carbs; 6 g fat; 4 g protein

Eggplant Pomodoro

From Eating Well.com
serves 6

Ingredients:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 c chopped pitted green olives
2 T red-wine vinegar
4 t capers, rinsed
3/4 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/4 t crushed red pepper, (optional)
12 oz whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley, or basil

Directions:

1. Put a pot of water on to boil.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and divide the pasta among 6 shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle parsley (or basil) on top.

Almost Lasagna

serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked, (or other similarly shaped pasta-like small shells)
1 lb Ground turkey, (or beef, chicken, sausage or tofu crumbles)
1 jar Pasta Sauce, (26 ounces)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 lb Ricotta cheese
2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 c Veggies , (diced zucchini, matchstick carrots, etc.)
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Brown meat and drain well, if necessary.
2. While meat is cooking, stir together eggs, ricotta, grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.
3. Mix cooked meat, macaroni, sauce and veggies. Add ricotta mixture and blend well.
4. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread half of macaroni mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with foil.
5. Heat your oven to 350 F and bake the casserole for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Pasta Fagioli

Copycat Olive Garden recipe

Ingredients:
--1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time

Directions:
Use a 6 quart or large crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stove, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of Parmesan cheese if you have it. This soup freezes and reheats nicely.

Crockpot baked ziti

From Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
* 1 bag of your favorite pasta
* 1 jar of marinara sauce
* any vegetables you might want to throw in
(I like mushrooms and sometimes some extra stewed/
seasoned tomatoes).
* cheese (Like shredded Mexican blend,
shredded parmesan and/ or mozzarella)

Directions:
* rinse pasta in a colander (just so there's some added moisture)
* add a handful of pasta and a bit of sauce to your crockpot stoneware insert
* put in a bit of cheese
* keep layering ingredients in until you run out
(be sure to put a little water on the top to keep it
moist too- about 2 T should do it).
* cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Stuffed Shells

From Kraft

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 container (16 oz.) Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 red pepper, chopped
1 egg white
1 env. (0.7 oz.) Italian Dressing Mix
1 cup Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
20 jumbo macaroni shells (for stuffing), cooked, drained and cooled
1 jar (13-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F.

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into shells.

Spread half the sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Place shells in dish; top with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover.

Bake 40 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.

Grilled Shrimp Caprese

Copy cat from Olive Garden
serves 8

Ingredients:
Marinated Tomatoes:
3 lbs Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into 1” pieces
30 medium fresh basil leaves, stems removed and cut into 1” pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt to taste

4 Tbsp butter
1 cup white wine (or white grape juice)
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
2 lbs capellini (angel hair) pasta, cooked according to package directions
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 lbs 26/30 or 21/25 shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

1. COMBINE tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Cover, set aside and marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. HEAT a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and let melt. Stir in white wine and bring to a boil. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. Let sauce reduce to desired consistency.
3. ADD cooked, drained pasta and marinated tomatoes to skillet. Stir to thoroughly coat pasta with sauce.
4. TRANSFER pasta and sauce to serving platter and top with mozzarella cheese.
5. GRILL or SAUTE shrimp until internal temperature reaches 150°F and set aside.
6. PLACE serving platter in broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
7. TOP pasta with cooked shrimp and serve.

Chicken Marsala

A Olive Garden Copy Cat
serves 6

Ingredients:
6 ea Chicken half-breast, boneless & skinless
3/8 cup(s) Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
Pepper to taste
3/4 tsp Oregano, dried
6 Tbsp Oil
6 Tbsp Butter (or margarine)
1 1/2 cup(s) Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup(s) Marsala wine

Directions:
1. Pound chicken breasts between sheets of "Saran Wrap" until about 1/4" even-thickness.
2. Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano, blend
3. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shake off excess
4. Heat oil and butter in frying pan over medium heat.
5. Cook the breasts on medium heat for about two minutes on the first side, until lightly brown. Turn breasts over to second side to cook, add the mushrooms around the chicken breasts. Cook breasts about two more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side, stir the mushrooms. When lightly browned, add Marsala around the chicken pieces, cover and simmer for about ten minutes
6. Transfer to serving plate & enjoy with cooked pasta of choice!

Vegetable Lasagna

From The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner
serves 10

Ingredients:
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (abt 6 oz)
1 (15 oz) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
3/4 c plus 2 T grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
salt and ground black pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 c fresh spinach
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c sliced black olives
1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce or 3 1/2 c homemade
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3 T butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F and grease 9x12 inch baking dish.
2. Cook noodles according to the package directions until slightly chewy, about 10 mins. Drain noodles and carefully drape them over side of colander or lay flat on aluminum foil so they don't stick together.
3. Combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 c of Parmesan cheese, and basil in small bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir garlic, carrots, onion, & bell pepper until carrots are tender (about 10 mins). Season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms. Cook and stir until spinach wilts and all the veggies are tender (about 4 mins). Remove from heat and add olives.
5. Spoon 1/2 c of sauce into pan. Arrange 4 noodles overlappting, on top of sauce and top with 1/3 of veggie mixture, 1/3 c of sauce, 1/2 c mozzarella, and 2 T of Parmesan. Add tow more layers in order- noodles, ricotta, veggies, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Dot w/t butter around the edges.
6. Bake 40 mins or until top is crusty. Drizzle with olive oil if desired and serve.

***Note: You can freeze the lasagna before you bake it. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before baking and bake 10-15 mins longer than directed***

Penne Primavera

From All-Time Family Favorite Recipes

Ingredients:
3/4 lb penne
1/4 lb baby carrots cut length wise
1 small bunch of asparagus, trimmed & cut to 1 inch lengths
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed & sliced (I prefer portabellas)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 sweet red pepper, cut into SMALL strips
1/2 c frozen peas
1 container (8 oz) reduced fat sour cream
2 T grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
1. Cook penne in large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente. Add carrots during last 5 mins of cooking. Add asparagus during last 2 mins of cooking.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in deep, large skillet over high heat. Add onion, cook until just softened (1-2 mins). Add mushrooms, salt & pepper, cook about 3 mins. Add sweet red pepper; cook 2 mins. Add peas cook another 2 mins or until everything is tender.
3. Drain pasta, carrots, asparagus, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Toss pasta, carrots, asparagus, and reserved cooking water with sauteed veggies, sour cream and cheese in large serving bowl. Serve immediately.

**Note: feel free to substitute whatever veggies that are fresh in your local market market**

Ratatouille bake

I thought of this after having ratatouille at a friend's, but made a couple tweaks to what [I think] she put in it because I like some pasta and cheese with my ratatouille).

serves 6

Ingredients:
* 1 T olive oil
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 c peeled and diced eggplant
* 2 c zucchini
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
* 1 T dried basil
* 1 T dried parsley
* 1/2 t salt
* 1/8 t black pepper
* 1 (about 8 oz) package frozen ravioli
* 3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; spray a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the garlic, onion, and eggplant with the garlic until the vegetables have begun to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper; bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Cook the frozen ravioli as directed on the package; drain. Spread the cooked ravioli in a layer into the bottom of the prepared baking dish; spoon the hot vegetables over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the cheese.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Ravioli Chicken Not-sagna

From my friend Karen. Thanks!

Your favorite pasta sauce
Your favorite frozen ravioli
Frozen chicken strips
8 oz shredded Mozzarella

Get a 9x13 baking dish. Put about half the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place layer of chicken strips and then layer of ravioli. Top with remaining sauce. Bake at 400F for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese. Bake 10 mins- until cheese is melted. Simple, yummy, nutritious & kid friendly!