Baked Ziti

I do something new everytime with this recipe! And it always comes out a hit. The kids love this stuff.


Ingredients:

16oz Penne noodles
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs dried parsley
1 egg
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook penne to al-dente. In a large, deep pot, brown meat seasoned with salt and pepper. Once browned, remove from heat and add ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg, 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce and 1/2 of the mozzarella and stir to combine all. Add in the cooked pasta and combine. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan. Pour remaining sauce on top and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mintues.



Feedback:

My one year olds each had THREE servings! And my 2 year old had two servings. Is that normal? Seriously? I think we may need to start limitng their intake. They aren't fat at all, but these kids love food! Better keep a close eye on them!

**Hubby said it took 35 minutes to heat through, not 20. I made it early this morning, so it had been in the fridge quite awhile. If you put it in the oven fresh off the stove top, it probably does take only 20 minutes.

Spicy Shrimp Linguini

I just realize I didn't post what I made for dinner on Tuesday! It's another one of my throw-togethers, and it was super yummy!!

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 pint half and half
2 tbs butter
1 1/2 tbs flour
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese
1 box linguini noodles

Shrimp:
2 lbs shrimp
2 tbs olive oil
4 tbs butter
8 cloves garlic
salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of water. Salt the water and cook the noodles.
In a large saute pan, melt butter and add flour to make a rue (paste). Slowly pour in half and half, wisking at same time to smooth out clumps. Continue until all half and half is gone. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add more milk if needed to get right consistency. In another saute pan, add olive oil and butter and melt. Combine peeled shrimp, salt and pepper, and garlic cloves (minced) to pan and cook until just pink. Pile noodles on plate and pour alfredo sauce on top. Top with 6-8 shrimp and drizzle with the butter from the shrimp pan.

Feedback:

This came out really great! I just made it up, so I was pretty proud! And it wasn't overly spicy. My brother and his family came over for dinner and everyone loved it!

Baby BowTie Pasta

I made this today for lunch for the kids, and it was amazing! They ate it all, and I had some as well. And I got to use those fun new mini pastats from Barilla - Piccolini. I love the name!!

Ingredients:

1/2 box Mini Farfalle pasta (like Barilla Piccolini)
olive oil
1/2 onion finely chopped, or a shallot
1 clove garlic minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup frozen peas
grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Cook noodles in boiling water. Heat oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Saute until tender, about 2 min. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 min. Stir in the cream and the peas. Add the pasta and toss to coat. You may need to add a ladle full of the pasta cooking water to get a creamy consistency in the sauce. Serve, topped with grated parm and salt and pepper if desired.

Feedback:

The kids gobbled this up, they loved the peas. And the pasta is small enough to not have to be cut up first, which saves me a ton of time. Creamy and delish!!

Three Cheese Spaghetti Pie

For my bridal shower, my maid-of-honor requested that everyone bring a copy of their favorite recipe for me to cook sometime. This one came from my only Aunt, Aunt Vicki. I made it once for me and hubby, and we really liked it. I know the kids will too.

Ingredients:

6 oz spaghetti, cooked, drained and rinsed
1 large egg, separated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 1/4 cups spaghetti sauce
3/4 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp dried parsley
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray. Combine spaghetti, egg white and parmesan in a bowl. Press mixture into pie plate to form a pie shell. Cook beef in a skillet. When browned, stir in spaghetti sauce and simmer 5 min. Set aside. Combine ricotta, egg yolk, parsley, and 1/2 cup mozzarella in bowl. Spread mixture into pie shell. Spread meat sauce over cheese mixture and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, removing foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Allow to stand for 5 min. before serving.
Serves 6

Thanks Aunt Vicki, the kids are going to love this!

Feedback:
They all loved it. My 2 year old had 2 helpings. My husband is a much better parent than me. If we have anything with red sauce when I am home, I won't give it to the babies because I hate the mess, especially since they are both in a "I-throw-my-food-on-the-floor-when-I'm-done" phase. I'm so mean! Hubby lets them have at it AND cleans it up. Im so lucky!