Italian Tomatoes and Meat Sauce

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law dropped by for a visit and told us about these Italian tomatoes she found at the store that were just superb. I had an idea that she had to be talking about San Marzano tomatoes, which are what the chefs on TV use. I just didn't know that you could get them locally. Curiosity came into play so I had to try them myself.
    These particular plum tomatoes have a sweet flavor, are low in seeds as well as acidity and are easy to peel. They are an excellent tomato for sauces because they thicken and sweeten as they cook. Now, I understand all of the hype. There very well could be something to vine-ripened and handpicked.
    Normally when I make a pasta sauce, I start with a jar or can of store bought sauce as a base and doctor it up with herbs and spices. But with these Italian tomatoes I didn't even have to add some tomato paste as a thickener. It was just herbs, simmer and go. You'll have too see for yourself what a difference real Italian tomatoes makes to the sauce.

Italian Tomatoes and Meat Sauce
1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. olive oil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (12 oz.) pkg. Italian sausage
    (I used Farmington chicken sausage with mozzarella and bell peppers), sliced
1/4 pkg. angel hair pasta
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. fennel seed (optional)
5 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Fill medium pot 3/4's full of water. Sprinkle with salt and a splash of olive oil. Bring to boil. Add pasta and bring to boil, cooking for 7 minutes. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add bell peppers, onion and red pepper flake if using. Cook 5 minutes until they soften. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring often.

Add chunks of Italian sausage and cook 2-3 minutes more. Stir to prevent sticking and over browning. Pour in tomatoes and add spices. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for at least 20-30 minutes.

Drain pasta and cover with lid to keep warm. Stir to separate.

Place pasta on plate and top with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan just before serving.
Serves 4.

Sour Noodle Salad

    When I first saw the title of this recipe, "Sour Noodle Salad," I thought it sounded really weird. After I read the ingredients, I became intrigued. But when this dish was chosen as the winner in the salad category at a local holiday recipe contest, I took a taste and understood why it was a winner.
   The pasta was cooked perfectly al a dente' and it combined with the dressing to provide a cool, bright taste in your mouth. One taste was not enough. Many thanks to Mrs. Schwartz to sharing one of her best recipes. 
 
Sour Noodle Salad
Wanda Schwartz, Mt. Carmel, IL

1 lb. curly pasta (cook and cool)

1 onion chopped

1 cucumber chopped

Mix together:

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. parsley (optional)

1/2 tsp. minced garlic (optional)

Stir vinegar mixture over pasta - refrigerate. Stir to keep flavor on pasta.

Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese
By Derek McGraw, Princeton

      When the hubby stops me and says to try a dish, it must be good. When he says that about mac and cheese, it must be really good. At a recent fundraiser dinner, he did just that by pointing out how good a loaded mac and cheese dish was from a local "chef." This dish won honors at the event and one good look at the ingredients explains it all. Well done.

Photo courtesy Taste of Home

Loaded Baked Macaroni and Cheese
1 pound center cut bacon    
1 cup Wisconsin Jack Cheese
1 teaspoon of garlic salt        
1 (16 oz.) box of elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon of white pepper    
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon onion powder    
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon paprika   
 2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
1 packet of Ranch seasoning       
2 cups Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese
1 small pouch of bacon bits

Preparation -
Fry bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to the al dente package directions. Drain well.

In a large bowl combine milk, eggs, sour cream, and seasonings with bacon bits. Whisk together until mixed well. Stir in the cooked pasta and Wisconsin cheese, reserving 1 cup of Cheddar.

Pour into a deep baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Wisconsin Cheddar evenly over the top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove when edges become golden.

Allow baking dish to set for 10 minutes. Garnish with crumbled bacon.

White Lasagna

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     When I hear the word "lasagna" I think of big fat noodles piled high with a chunky red meat sauce and gobs of cheese. It's one of my favorite dishes. However, I love a rich creamy Alfredo sauce, too. This led to the inevitable attempt at a lasagna made with Alfredo sauce and chicken, with a few extra flavors kicked in as well. I figure bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic are always a nice touch.
     This turned out rich, creamy and totally filling. For those who aren't fans of red sauce and the acidity, this is perfectly decadent. Many variations call for spinach, but not chicken. That's fine if you wish, but I knew my hubby had to have some meat in there.

White Lasagna

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked*
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
1 jar Alfredo sauce, reserving 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 T. flour

1/4 cup milk

1-24 oz. carton cottage cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1-8 oz. pkg. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp. parsley or chives

9 lasagna noodles
salt
olive oil


Heat a large pan of water to boil. Add salt and olive oil. When water is rapidly boiling, add noodles one at a time, stirring so that they don't stick together. Cook about 9 minutes until al a dente or just tender. Drain when done and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile saute' onion and bell pepper until tender (about 10 minutes). Add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes more until you smell garlic and it softens. Stir in flour and mix well. Add milk and stir again to combine. Pour in Alfredo sauce, except 1/4 cup. Add cooked chicken and thyme. Stir and cover with lid over low heat. Simmer a few minutes while mixing cheese.

In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese, parsley, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Pour 1/2 cup of Alfredo sauce thinly over bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over top of sauce.

Spread the cheese mixture over the noodles and then top with chicken and sauce. Add another layer of noodles. Keep layering so that it goes noodles, cheese and chicken sauce but top with cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let rest before slicing. Serves 8-9.

* I boiled chicken in 4 cups chicken base, carrots, onion and celery the day before.

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Lasagna

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

      As a kid, one of my favorite birthday dinners was lasagna. I love noodles and when they are topped with a rich meaty sauce and covered in cheeses, it just can't get any better.
     This dish is actually easy to make, bakes in a casserole and feeds a crew. It's very filling so count on leftovers and use your freezer space.

Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef
1 lg. Italian sausage
1 sm. green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper

1-24 oz. carton cottage cheese
1 tsp. parsley or chives
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1-8 oz. pkg. Mozzerella cheese, shredded

1-1/2 can pasta sauce
16-18 pepperoni slices
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. fennel (optional)

9 lasagna noodles
salt

olive oil


Heat a large pan of water to boil. Add salt and olive oil. When water is rapidly boiling, add noodles one at a time, stirring so that they don't stick together. Cook about 9 minutes until al a dente or just tender.

Meanwhile brown meat with onion, pepper and garlic. Add some salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink (about 10 minutes) and drain excess liquid.

In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese, parsley, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Refrigerate until needed.

In another small bowl, combine pasta sauce, pepperoni slices and spices. Stir well.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Spread one ladle of sauce thinly over bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over top of sauce. Spread another layer of sauce on noodles and then top with meat. Spread the cheese mixture over the meat and add another layer of noodles. 

Keep layering so that it goes noodles, sauce, meat and cheese on top.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let rest before slicing. Serves 8-9.

*Note - if you wish, mix pasta sauce with meat for one less layer.

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Chicken Carbonara

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     During our Navy girls' last visit home she fixed Chicken Carbonara for lunch one day. The girl loves bacon and was raised on pasta weekly, so this combination was no surprise. This is one of her favorite dishes to cook for her Navy buddies out in Cali.
    She believes in modern cooking and a bit of the "semi-homemade" approach. Her noodles came from a packet that included seasonings and she fried the bacon while cooking frozen peas in butter. The chicken was cooked in the bacon fat (yeah, she's a country girl) and it was all combined for a quick simmer. It might remind you of an Alfredo dish with less sauce and the bonus of bacon.

Chicken Carbonara
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast, thin sliced (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 bag frozen peas
3-4 slices bacon
1 packet Lipton chicken Alfredo noodles
2 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste

In medium skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until just slightly crisp. Remove from skillet and wrap in paper towel to drain.

Use skillet with bacon grease to cook chicken over medium heat, turning as needed, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat.

In medium sauce pan, cook noodles according to package directions. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.

Cook peas in small sauce pan, as package directs. Cover in butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Add all ingredients to skillet, stirring to combine. Simmer on low 5 minutes just to warm and blend flavors. Serves 5-6.

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Cavatini

Photo courtesy Taste of Home.

    Years ago, I remember going to a local eatery who served cavatini. It was one of my favorite dishes. It's a rich pasta casserole with layers of chunks of meat and veggies, smothered in sauce and topped with cheese. What's not to love?
    I decided to try and recreate that fond memory. It turned out more difficult than I thought. I couldn't find any prepackaged triple pasta and the wheel pasta was impossible. Improvising, I used three types of pasta that I had on hand - penne, spirals and shells. The veggies were cut bigger to balance out the thicker noodles.
    This turned out to be filling with a nice, hearty flavor. There isn't much prep time and the recipe is flexible. Did I succeed in my mission? No, close but no cigar.

Cavatini

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can mushroom pieces, drained

1 tsp. garlic powder, or 1 clover garlic, chopped

1 lb. assorted pasta (spirals, shells, wheels or penne)*

2 dozen pepperoni slices

1-16 oz. jar pasta sauce of choice + 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

* The smaller pasta the better. If you have 3 types pasta, use 2/3 cup each type.

In large pot, fill at least half full of water, salt and bring to boil. Cook pasta 7-8 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside covered.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat or grease a 13x9x2 baking dish.

Brown meat in medium skillet until almost done and then add green pepper and onion. Add garlic and pepperoni. Cook until meat is done and then drain any excess grease.

Spread half of cooked pasta in baking dish and top with 1/2 of meat/veggie mix. Pour half of pasta sauce on top. Repeat another layer. Top with cheese.

Bake 45 minutes until cheese is melted. 

Serves 8-10. Recipe can easily be halved or doubled.

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Chipotle Mac and Cheese

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Mac and cheese is a classic comfort food, but why not play with the flavor? I've added bacon, ham and now the bold taste of chipotle. This still has all of the creamy cheesy goodness of any mac and cheese dish, but there's the slight hint of heat from the chipotle. For a nice contrast, this casserole uses nacho chips as a crunchy topping.

Chipotle Mac and Cheese
2 heaping T. butter
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup onion, fine diced
1/2-8 oz. pkg. pasta shells
1 1/2 cup milk
3 T. flour
1 chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce, diced
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 block of Velveeta (about a 4-inch chunk) cut into large cubes
1 handful crushed nacho chips

Pour 6 cups water and 2 tsp. salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Add pasta. Return to boil and cook 7-8 minutes. Drain. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray coat a 9x9x2-inch baking dish.

In medium saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat and then add onion. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring often, until onions are almost clear. Add garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes longer.

Sprinkle flour on butter mixture and stir well to combine. Add chipotle pepper, white pepper and salt. Mix in well.

Slowly add milk, stirring constantly to make a sauce. Continue stirring as sauce begins to thicken. Add chunked cheese and continue stirring until well combined.

Stir sauce into cooked pasta and mix well. Pour into baking dish and top with crushed nacho chips.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 5-6.

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