Spaghetti with Asparagus, Bacon, and Marinara Sauce

From a recipe in the grocery store ad. Looks like it's Barilla branded, but I can't find it on their website. I've tweaked it a little as it seems like whomever put it in the paper didn't edit it very well...



Ingredients:
2 tbsp EVOO
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2# bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)
1 (23.5 oz) jar marinara or pasta sauce
1 (1 lb) box spaghetti (or fettuccine)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain onto a paper towel and remove all but 1 tsbp of the fat from the pan. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until translucent. Add asparagus and saute for one to two minutes. Deglaze with wine/stock. Add marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.

Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce. Stir in butter, parsley, and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with bacon and serve.

Comments:
This was ridiculously easy, but a combination I don't know that I've tried before. Whenever I use asparagus or bacon with pasta it's more in a carbonara way than a tomato-based sauce way. It wasn't a bad flavor mix - I was pleasantly surprised.

Spinach Mushroom Pasta

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
8 ounces whole-wheat pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound sliced mushrooms
6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
8 cups lightly packed spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Boil 2 qts. water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add garlic and mushrooms, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and milk and heat until boiling, stirring often. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour over pasta. Sprinkle with chives and serve with parmesan on the side.

Comments:
I liked this one but it was another case of lactose overload in the aftermath. Something about creamy sauces just doesn't jive with my digestive system. I've really been trying to give mushrooms a chance and it seems like if they're cooked I can deal with them.

Pasta with Ricotta and Broccoli

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 pound dried (orzo) pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot chili flakes
1 pound broccoli rabe or broccoli, rinsed, ends trimmed, and coarsely chopped
1 container (15 oz.) low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 7 to 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta-cooking water. Return orzo to pan.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic; stir until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chili flakes and broccoli rabe; stir 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 cup of reserved water; simmer until greens are tender to bite, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add broccoli rabe mixture to orzo with ricotta, olives, and remaining 1/2 cup reserved water; mix, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Comments:
This was not as good as I expected it to be. It was just missing... something. I don't know what that might have been, but it was pretty bland. I also suspect all that ricotta made me sick, but that's more a personal lactose intolerance thing than a defect in the recipe. :)

Adam Cooks: Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fettuccine
3 (4-ounce) links sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
1/2 ounce pecorino cheese, grated (about 2 tablespoons packed)
8 basil leaves, torn

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Remove casing from sausages. Shape sausages into 12 (1-inch) balls. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; cook 7 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove the meatballs from pan. Add onions, red pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté for 2 minutes. Return meatballs and add marinara sauce to pan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until meatballs are done. Add pasta to sauce mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Comments:
Adam made this so I can't speak to the preparation part. The eating part was good. Nice switch up from your ordinary everyday beef meatballs.

Mexican Manicotti

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 package (8 ounces) manicotti, cooked and drained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, optional
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, chili powder and cumin. Stuff into manicotti shells.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine tomato sauce and chilies if desired; pour over manicotti. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
I left out the optional chiles, but otherwise pretty much stuck to the plan. I chose this recipe to use up some refried beans and it worked like a charm. Pretty tasty and relatively easy to assemble. Although I notice every time I make manicotti I think to myself "man, I really hate making manicotti." Such a pain in the butt, stuffing all those shells. *sigh*

Pantry Pasta

From The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond via FoodNetwork



Ingredients:
1/2 whole red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine
1/3 cup assorted olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 whole jar artichoke hearts, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces pasta, cooked al dente and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons jarred pesto
1/2 cup fork-chunked feta
3 tablespoons dry-toasted pine nuts

Directions:
Add the onions into a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Saute for a few minutes, and then add in the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, artichoke hearts and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce. Mix in the pesto. Toss in the feta and top with the pine nuts.

Comments:
I don't know that I've ever made anything from The Pioneer Woman that I haven't totally loved. I caught this recipe on her new(ish) show on the Food Network and I knew it was right up my alley. A local Italian restaurant makes a version of this and I love it and this is what I always get at Stone Cellar as well. Olives and tomatoes and artichokes and pasta = Heaven! I did leave out the pesto since I'm not particularly a fan. I also used some Garden Delight Ronzoni in an effort to up the healthy components. I'm not sure about the two servings thing though - this makes a whole lot, and unlike Ree, I don't live on a working ranch and chase cows around all day.

Nice 'N' Easy Italian Chicken

From Crock-Pot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 26oz jar pasta sauce
hot cooked spaghetti

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except pasta in slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve over spaghetti.

Comments:
Not much out there that's easier to make than this. This is the classic "throw some stuff in the crockpot and forget about it" meal. It turned out really well. I did use a red pepper rather than the green since I think green peppers tend to overpower everything else in the dish. It does make a lot for just two people so I ended up freezing a bunch. We'll see how it tastes when it's thawed.

Gemelli with Fennel and Hot Sausage

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
3/4 pound hot italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large bulb fennel, cut into strips
1 large onion, sliced
3 carrots, sliced on an angle
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound gemelli pasta
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. On a baking sheet, toss the sausage, fennel, onion and carrots with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.

3. Add the sausage-vegetable mixture to the pasta. Add the reserved pasta cooking water to the baking sheet, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to the pasta mixture. Toss in the parsley; season with salt and pepper

Comments:
I subbed some celery for the fennel since neither of us dig the anise flavor. It worked out fine. It's a teensy bit spicy for me, but Adam liked it. I used some Creste di Gallo pasta we got for Christmas since I didn't have gemelli and I thought it was a neat shape. Looks like little Stegosauruses. But that might just be me...

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

From Johnsonville Sausage



Ingredients:
1 pkg (19.76 oz) Johnsonville® Italian Mild Sausage Links
1 pkg (1 lb) rigatoni pasta
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lg sweet red pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
1 jar (26 oz) of your favorite pasta sauce

Directions:
Cook sausage links according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook rigatoni according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds or until golden. Add red peppers; sauté for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Cut sausage into 1/4-inch coin slices; add to skillet. Stir in pasta sauce; heat through.

Add pasta; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parsley.

Comments:
Easy - I had Adam grill the sausage. I wasn't too much of a fan of the peppers and Adam didn't like the tomatoes, but together we liked the whole thing. Little bit of a Jack Sprat deal. I don't know that I'd make this again. Kind of boring.

Crab Macaroni Casserole

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 cans (6 ounces each) lump crabmeat, drained
1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Combine flour and milk until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Drain macaroni. Add the crabmeat, sour cream, Swiss cheese, salt, mustard, macaroni and 1/4 cup cheddar cheese to the skillet.

Transfer to an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
This was pretty easy to make and while I admit it did smell kind of good, I didn't have any because of the crab. We'll see how it treats Adam's digestive system. The butter/flour/milk-based sauces seem to do a number on him sometimes...

Penne with Bacon, Butternut Squash, and Spinach

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 pound penne rigate pasta
6 slices bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 7 minutes (the pasta will only be partially cooked). Drain, reserving 2 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then crumble the bacon once it is cool enough to handle. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.

3. Add the olive oil and squash to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the pasta and 2 cups of the reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until the pasta and squash are cooked, about 5 minutes, adding additional pasta cooking water if needed.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, garlic and parsley. Season generously with salt and pepper; sprinkle with the cheese and crumbled bacon.

Comments:
I halved everything in this recipe except for the squash so it ended up almost unbearably squash-y. Adam's comment? It would be good without the squash. *sigh* I take responsibility for that one. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to only use half the squash... Duh.

BLT Pasta Bake

From Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats, recipe #36



Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
2 large leeks, trimmed of roots and dark green tops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions:
Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta, once boiling add some salt and the pasta and cook until al dente.

Heat large skillet over medium heat, add the EVOO and chopped bacon and cook until crisp.

While bacon is cooking, split leeks in half lengthwise and slice thinly into half moons. Clean cut leeks thoroughly, drain, and dry. Add leeks to pan with bacon, season with salt and pepper; cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, cayenne, and paprika and whisk together until the roux bubbles; cook one minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise the heat a little. Bring sauce to a quick boil and simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in 3 cups of the grated cheese and the mustard. Set aside.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the leeks and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
Preheat broiler.

Combine leek mixture, cheese sauce, and pasta; salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to baking dish, combine remaining 1/2 cheese with bread crumbs and top pasta. Place under broiler until cheese melts and crumbs are brown.

Comments:
This is really good, although I managed to burn the top under the broiler a little. Ok a lot. But it was salvagable. This recipes makes a whole lotta pasta so I threw the leftovers in the freezer. They should defrost well.

Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5oz) can tomato puree
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped parsley
12 manicotti shells, cooked

Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the garlic until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, oregano, basil, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350; spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, and parsley. Fill the manicotti shells with the cheese mixture; place in the baking dish. Pour sauce over shells. Bake until browned and bubbling, 30-40 minutes.

Serves 6. POINTS Value per serving: 8

Comments:
I didn't get 12 shell from this filling - I got 9. So either I overfilled or they want half the shell empty.

In any case, Adam thought the sauce was bland - and it is - it's just tomato and some spices. He wanted meat in it, which was no surprise to me at all. The manicotti itself was good. Just a little bored with the sauce.

Pasta with Edamame and Arugula

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
2 cups loosely packed baby arugula
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

2. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add edamame to pan; cook 2 minutes or until edamame are thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Combine pasta and edamame in a large bowl. Stir in arugula and next 6 ingredients (through salt), tossing well. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Comments:
This was very easy to make - cook pasta, heat edamame, chop tomatoes. But it was gross. Maybe it was the arugula - I didn't think Adam would like it but he wanted to try it. Maybe it was the whole-wheat pasta. I don't know. But we won't make this one again.

Greek Chicken Pasta

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, melt butter. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, artichoke hearts, cheese, tomatoes and olives.

Drain pasta; stir into the pan. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

Comments:
I omitted the olives since Adam doesn't like them and used a drained can of diced tomatoes rather than sun-dried. I also used plain artichoke hearts instead of marinated ones. Overall this was very good. I think it would have been even better with the olives, so if I make it again I might add them to my bowl. I added some salt and a lot of pepper to my dish because without something else it was pretty bland.

Hamburger Noodle Bake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash pepper
1/4 cup cream-style cottage cheese
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat; stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, green onion, green pepper and sour cream.

Drain noodles; place half of noodles in a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Spoon half of beef mixture over the top. Layer with cottage cheese mixture and remaining noodles. Top with remaining beef mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
This was ok. The mixture of cottage cheese and the noodles and beef was kind of weird. Maybe it's just that I don't like cottage cheese that much in the first place. The scallions really added a good secondary layer of flavor though. I don't know that I'd make this again.

Broccoli-Ham Macaroni

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups fat-free milk
2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, place 1 in. of water in a large saucepan; add broccoli. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, ham and red pepper in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are crisp-tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in the cheese, parsley, mustard and seasonings until blended. Drain broccoli and macaroni; stir into cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish (dish will be full).

In a small skillet, melt remaining butter; stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
I altered the recipe a little bit in that I just cooked the broccoli in the same water as the pasta, I left out the red pepper and all the butter, and cut the amount of cheese sauce in half. All in all, pretty good. Not too cheesy and a nice ham surprise in every bite.

Pasta Primavera with Provolone

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups cooked short-cut pasta (penne, shells, etc)
1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and zucchini until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, salt, parsley, oregano, and red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour over the pasta, then stir in the provolone and Parmesan.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 5

Comments:
This was very good. I used the garlic olive oil I'm so crazy about again. Good mix of colors and flavors. The zucchini, pepper, onions, and tomato were all finds at the local farmer's market and we got the provolone from a local dairy store. Yay locally grown food! A very easy dish to make, good to eat, and will make a bunch of leftovers unless you halve the recipe!

Baked Ziti

From the "Wellness" emails I get through work - they're usually Biggest Loser recipes, but this one doesn't specify a source.



Ingredients:
olive oil spray
1 (14.5oz) box ziti or penne
1 (15oz) container fat-free ricotta cheese
2 large egg whites
8oz shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
3 1/2 cups low-fat, low-sodium marinara sauce (I used Barilla tomato & basil)
2 tbsp grated, reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450F. Lightly mist a 13x9 ceramic or glass baking dish with olive oil spray.

Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.

Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add half the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another cup of sauce. Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan over the top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces or spoon among 8 bowls.

Comments:
This is very impressive-looking in its full state:



It's pretty easy to make, but it does make a lot. I ended up freezing half of it because I knew we wouldn't eat all the leftovers. I'm not a fan of ricotta and it's almost too much in this dish. Other than that, it's not bad.

(Fettuccine) with Chicken and Broccoli (Rabe)

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and chopped
6 oz spinach fettuccine
4 tsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head radicchio, shredded
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the broccoli rabe 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. In the boiling water, cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Drain.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil. Add the chicken, salt, oregano, and red pepper and saute until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.

3. In the skillet, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil. Saute the onion and garlic until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe and radicchio; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the fettuccine, the sprinkle with the cheese and black pepper. Serve topped with the chicken and sprinkled with the basil.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 7

Comments:
So, I had to do some improvising on this one. I can never find broccoli rabe at the grocery store so I end up using plain old broccoli. I also couldn't find radicchio, but I did find a bagged mix of baby spinach, radicchio, and romaine so I figured that was kind of close. I skipped the basil, mostly because I forgot to get it. Also, I used the awesome garlic olive oil again instead of oil + garlic.

Anyway. This was very good. Nice mix of flavors and textures. The greens kind of melt into the background so they're not anything to worry about. I'd have this again.