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.

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.

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.

Inside-Out Pizza Roll

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing
2 cups Meat Sauce
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. Using a standing mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine the lukewarm water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and wraps around the hook, about 5 minutes. Grease a large bowl with olive oil, transfer the dough to the bowl and let rise, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium skillet, cook the meat sauce over medium heat, stirring, until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes; let cool.

3. Punch down the risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Scatter the cheese on top, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Spoon the meat sauce over the cheese. Brush the border with some of the beaten egg and roll the dough up loosely, beginning at the short end. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, brush with more egg and cut 3 vents on top. Bake until golden-brown, about 40 minutes.

Comments:
I opted to use bread dough rather than pizza dough for this since pizza dough always seems to be dryer than I like. Plus it saved a lot of time. It worked out pretty well. But I obviously didn't seal that top seam well enough since it exploded open...

They want you to use their meat sauce, but I just made my favorite dependable stand-by slow cooker pasta sauce instead. I made it the night before, letting it bubble away all night. This also saved time since I didn't re-heat it before assembling the roll.

Overall, this is very good. Even though I let it hang out for ten minutes after taking it out of the oven, it was still a mess to cut and serve:



I also think I may have overfilled it since it blew out both ends (and the top.) I might try this one again, perhaps getting some dough from the grocery store or trying something like that.

Meatball Sandwich

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 pound ground chicken
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup low-sugar, low-fat marinara sauce (I used Barilla Tomato & Basil)
2 whole-grain hot dog bun
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a baking sheet with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, or until the milk softens the crumbs. Add the chicken, egg whites, parsley, cheese, garlic and onion powders, and salt. Mix well. Divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place meatballs, not touching, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

Put the marinara sauce in a microwaveable bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals until warmed though. (Mine came out of the fridge and took about 2 minutes total.)

Meanwhile, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bun, cut side down, in the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until toasted.

Place the bun, toasted side up, on a serving plate. Top with three meatballs. Spoon on about half the heated sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with the second bun. Top with any remaining sauce.

You will have some leftover meatballs. (Ten of them, if my math is correct.)

Comments:
This is combination of two recipes since the sandwich recipe used a separate meatball recipe. Pretty simple to make and it tastes good too. I'm not really a huge fan of ground chicken. I might make them with turkey if I try this recipe again.

Inside-Out Pizza Rolls

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing
2 cups Meat Sauce
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Using a standing mixer fitted with the hook attachment, combine the lukewarm water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and wraps around the hook, about 5 minutes. Grease a large bowl with olive oil, transfer the dough to the bowl and let rise, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium skillet, cook the meat sauce over medium heat, stirring, until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes; let cool.

Punch down the risen dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Scatter the cheese on top, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Spoon the meat sauce over the cheese. Brush the border with some of the beaten egg and roll the dough up loosely, beginning at the short end. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, brush with more egg and cut 3 vents on top. Bake until golden-brown, about 40 minutes.

Comments:
Oh who are we kidding. We all know I didn't make the dough myself. And we all know RR wouldn't either. So whatever. The recipe itself suggests using store-bought pizza dough. I've found it gets too dry for my liking so I went with bread dough instead. Worked great except for how my seam came apart during the baking process. And I think I should have lowered the temp back down to 350 because the bottom got a little crunchy. All in all, good stuff. I did alter it a little more by adding sausage and using store-bought sauce. Once again kind of using the recipe for inspiration and going off in my own direction.

Double-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/2 cup small shell pasta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
Four 8- to 10-ounce chicken breasts
3 cups store-bought marinara sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 4 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a bowl and add the mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and 1/4 cup parsley; season with salt.

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Place the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.

Stuff the pasta-cheese mixture under the skin of each chicken breast. Dip the stuffed chicken breasts in the eggs, roll in the breadcrumbs, then place skin side up on the prepared pan. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast registers 165°, about 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the marinara sauce. Serve each breast on a bed of sauce, topped with 1 tablespoon parsley.

Comments:
Hmm. I followed this recipe pretty well except for the skin part. I have boneless, skinless breasts here. Chicken skin is gross. So I just cut a slit in the breasts and shoved the filling in there. Worked out pretty well. It didn't ooze out all over the place like the last time I made a stuffed chicken breast...

Flavor-wise, it's not bad. Adam claims he didn't even notice there was pasta in it, but sometimes I suspect he eats without really paying much attention to what he's eating. This is a blessing at times when I botch dinner up. :)

Anyway.

I was originally going to defrost some of the pasta sauce I made in the slow cooker a few weekends ago, but I changed my mind last minute and stopped at the store on the way home for what Eat This, Not That recommends - Barilla's Tomato and Basil. Pretty good, although kind of thin and easily separated (as evidenced by the photo.)

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

From a recipe card in my box. No idea where it's from.



Ingredients:
4 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
14 manicotti tubes
15 oz Ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt & pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups marinara sauce
2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
In a heavy skillet over medium heat add 1 tbsp olive oil, onion, and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until meat is brown and onion is translucent. Remove and cool. Cook manicotti until slightly softened. Remove and cool. Combine ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and mix well. Stir meat into cheese mixture.

Spoon 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese mixture. Arrange in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses. Dot entire dish with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Comments:
Yeah, not the prettiest picture there. They kind of fell apart on the way out of the pan. But they taste good so I guess looks aren't everything. This is my favorite go-to meat-filled manicotti recipe. Good combination of meat and cheeses.

Upside-Down Pizza Bake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Pour spaghetti sauce into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Top with the mushrooms, green pepper, sausage and 1/2 cup cheese.

In a small bowl, combine the biscuit mix, egg and milk until blended. Pour over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Comments:
My edits: Skipped the mushrooms and green peppers and added onions and some leftover pepperoni

This was wonderful. Very simple to make, but mighty tasty. And it can be made in many different incarnations. I thought about using the pineapple and ham left over from abandoned meals last week and making a Hawaiian version. Maybe next time...

Chicken & Spaghetti Di Napoli

From what looks like one of those recipe cards you pick up in the grocery store - possibly from Creamette?



Ingredients:
6 strips bacon
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced (I omitted)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 26 oz jar pasta sauce
1 lb spaghetti, uncooked
2 tbsp softened butter or margarine

Directions:
In a medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove. Crumble and set aside. In the same skillet, brown chicken in 2 tbsp drippings. Remove. Cook carrot and garlic until tender. Add pasta sauce and chicken. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add butter, toss to coat. Slice chicken. Serve over spaghetti with sauce. Garnish with bacon.

Comments:
I just wasn't feeling very "carrot-y" yesterday but that's the only change I made. That and leaving out the butter. Not necessary... I might make this again sometime with my homemade sauce. This time I used Prego...

Stuffed Manicotti

From my recipe box - seriously no idea where it came from...



Ingredients:
16 manicotti tubes
16 sticks mozzarella cheese
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Grease an 11 x 7 baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the manicotti tubes for 6 minutes, stirring once at the start to separate tubes. Drain well, then rinse with cold water and drain again.

Insert a mozzarella stick into each tube. Arrange the filled pasta in the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the dish.

Comments:
Simplest manicotti ever, although at my store they come in packages of 14, so that's what I make. I also just buy a block of cheese and cut it up. Not the most impressive dish ever, but it's good and easy. Can't ask for more than that.

Tasty Mozzarella Chicken

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 can (7 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, beat egg and water. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, soup mix and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 22-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

In a small bowl, combine spaghetti sauce and mushrooms; spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes longer or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Comments:
I left out the mushrooms, but otherwise followed this recipe pretty well. It's like chicken Parmesan with an onion kick. I don't know that I like it, but Adam thought it was ok. I'm not a big fan of onion...

And no, I didn't make that bread. It's a new thing that was on sale at the store this week - La Brea bread in the freezer section. It's fabulous, but a bit steep at its regular price.