Very Veggie Baked Ziti

serves 8-10

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 3 large portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 24-26 oz jar meatless marinara
• 1 1/2 c (or 15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c dry red wine, optional
• 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil (or 1 Tbs fresh basil, chopped)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 1/2 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped), divided
• 15 oz whole milk ricotta
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 3/4 c grated parmesan, divided
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb dried ziti (or penne, or other tube shaped pasta)

In a dutch oven or large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute mushrooms, garlic, celery, onions, and bell pepper for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the marinara, tomatoes, wine (if using), parsley, basil, and 1 tsp oregano (or 1 Tbs if using fresh).

Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer at least 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta until aldente.  Be careful not to overcook. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 c parmesan, egg, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

In a 13x9 baking dish, spread 1 cup of sauce.  Top with 1/3 of the pasta (about 1 cup).

Top the pasta with 1 cup sauce.

Drop 1/3 of the cheese mixture by teaspoons full over the sauce.

Continue layering two more times; sauce, pasta, sauce, cheese, sauce, pasta, sauce, cheese.  Top with any remaining sauce.

Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and oregano.

Cover with foil*.  Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

*If you want to make this dish ahead of time, cover and refrigerate after it is assembled.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.


Original Very Veggie Baked Ziti Blog Post

Italian Sausage Pizza

makes 2 (two) 12-14 inch pizzas

• 1lb fresh ground pork
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c onion, finely diced
• 2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want it
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 recipe pizza dough
• cornmeal for dusting
• 1 recipe pizza sauce
• 1 c shredded provolone cheese
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces
• 1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• several pinches each: fresh or dried basil, dried oregano, and/or crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Preheat oven with baking stone(s) to 500F. 

In a bowl, combine the pork, garlic, onion, parsley, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and fennel seeds.  Mix well.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add pork mixture.  Brown the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until cooked, breaking up any large chunks.  Set aside.

Dust pizza peel(s) generously with cornmeal.  Roll out two crusts, each between 12-14 inches in diameter, depending upon how thick you'd like your crust (*if you are only making one pizza at a time, refrigerate the unused portion until ready to use).

Divide the pizza sauce between both crusts, smearing with the back of a spoon, to within a half inch from the edge.

For each pizza, sprinkle with 1/2c provolone cheese.

Top each pizza with half of the Italian sausage.

Sprinkle 4 oz. torn fresh mozzarella on each pizza.

Divide the freshly grated parmesan between both pizzas.

If desired, sprinkle each pizza with a few pinches of basil, oregano and/or crushed red pepper flakes.

Slide the pizzas onto the hot stones in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the crust slides off the stone and the cheese has melted to your liking.  Remove with the pizza peel.

Original Italian Sausage Pizza Blog Post

Perfect Pizza Sauce

makes enough for two 12-14 inch pizzas

• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce or tomato puree
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbs onion, shredded (do this with a fresh onion and a cheese grater)
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

*If you do not use the whole recipe, this sauce will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and it freezes well, too.  




Original Perfect Pizza Sauce Blog Post

Pasta Puttanesca

serves 6

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 1/2 c chopped tomatoes*
• 1/2 c dry red wine, optional
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or about 1 Tbs chopped fresh)
• 1/2 c Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 3 Tbs capers, drained
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
• 12-14 oz whole grain spaghetti pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a 12" skillet, saute the garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil over medium heat until the garlic is tender; about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, red wine, and oregano; reduce heat to medium low.  *If using fresh tomatoes, simmer for about 15 minutes, and if using pre-packaged tomatoes, simmer for about 5 - 6 minutes, or until it has a nice pasta sauce consistency.  Stir occasionally.

Stir in the olives, capers and parsley.  Continue to simmer another 5 minutes. 

Toss with hot pasta.  Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.



Original Pasta Puttanesca Blog Post

Slow Cooker Minestrone

serves 8 - 10

• 2 large carrots, scrubbed and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small zucchini, diced (seasonal)
• 1 1/2 c cooked kidney beans
• 1/2 c green beans (cut into 1" chunks, or from a bag of frozen green beans)
• 3 1/2 c (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 6 c vegetable broth
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c cooked small pasta (ditalini, elbow, small shells)*
• 3-4 c chopped spinach, kale or chard
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for topping each bowl)

Into a 6 quart crockpot, mix carrots, celery, onion, garlic, zucchini (if in season), kidney beans, green beans, tomatoes, broth, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cover. Heat on low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cooked pasta* (boil approximately 3/4c pasta until aldente), greens, and parsley.  Cover and heat 15 minutes more, or until greens are tender.

Serve topped with Parmesan.


Original Slow Cooker Minestrone Blog Post

Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

serves 4

• 1 small leek, thinly sliced and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 lb portobello or cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and roughly chopped
• 1 Tbs fresh rosemary leaves, minced
• 1 c dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbs fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 c whipping cream
• 1 Tbs flour
• 9 oz fresh fettuccine pasta (homemade or refrigerated)
• More fresh, chopped parsley, if desired

In a dutch oven or heavy skillet, heat butter over medium heat.  Saute leek and garlic for about 2 minutes or until leek is tender.

Remove and set aside.

(Start your pasta pot now:  bring 2 qts salted water and 1 Tbs olive oil, if desired, to a boil.)

Turn the heat for the dutch oven or heavy skillet to medium high and add 2 Tbs olive oil.  Add mushrooms and rosemary.

Cook, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Stir in the wine, salt, pepper, and parsley.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half; 1-2 minutes.  Return the leeks and garlic to the pot.  Stir well.

(Add fresh fettuccine to the pasta pot.  Boil 3 minutes and drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water*.)

Stir the flour into the cream and add to the mushroom mixture.  Stir and cook until the mixture reaches a boil. Stir and cook for 1 more minute. *If you prefer a thinner sauce, stir a few tablespoons of the pasta water into the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.

Serve mushroom sauce over hot fettuccine.  Top with additional chopped fresh parsley, if desired.


Original Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce Blog Post

Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Serves 6.  30-40 min cooking time.

• 2 medium eggplants (about 2lbs), peeled if desired, and sliced into 1/2" rounds (slicing on the diagonal makes for a larger cutlet, and is especially nice when you reach the narrow neck of the eggplant)
• 1 1/2 c dried bread crumbs (preferably homemade)
• 1 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbs water
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
• Fresh Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 13-14 oz pkg spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine pasta 
• Grated Parmesan or torn pieces of fresh mozzarella for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

On each of 2 15x10 jelly roll pans, spread 1 tsp olive oil with a pastry brush.  

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  In another shallow bowl, blend together the eggs and water with a fork so there are no gloopy chunks.  

Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture, turning to coat.  Shake off the excess egg and dredge the slice in the Parmesan mixture (use your hands to add more, if necessary).  Place each slice of eggplant on the prepared baking sheets.  When all the slices are coated, slowly drizzle a little olive oil over the tops of the prepared eggplant (about 1/2 tsp per slice). 

Place the sheets in the preheated oven for 15-20 min, turn the slices and bake another 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.

• Meanwhile, get your pasta pot and tomato sauce going.  Prepare the pasta according to package instructions.  The sauce only takes about 5 minutes, so plan accordingly so everything is finished at the same time.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• 3-4 large tomatoes (about 2 lbs), diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 c chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

In a 12 inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the garlic for about a minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and juice, salt and pepper, and stir.  Reduce the heat and allow the tomato mixture to simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in the basil and balsamic vinegar.  Stir well and remove from heat.  *If you are not ready to use the sauce right away, cover, leaving a vent, to keep warm.

Divide the pasta between 6 plates.  Top with 3-4 eggplant parmesan slices and a big spoonful of the sauce.  Top with either more grated Parmesan or with torn pieces of fresh mozzarella.

Original Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Sauce Blog Post

Vegetarian Lasagna

• 9 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 24-28oz meatless marinara (either homemade or a good, organic basil and tomato is great)
• 2 large portobello mushroom caps (about 6-8oz), chopped
• 1 12oz jar roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry, and chopped (or your own roasted, in which case you would use 2 peppers)
• 1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 3/4 c grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 c shredded provolone cheese
• 1 c shredded fresh mozzarella
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 1Tbs freshly chopped)

Preheat oven to 350F.

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• In a bowl, combine mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and spinach. In another bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1/2 c paremesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the provolone and mozzarella cheeses.

In a 13x9 pan, spread 1/4 of the marinara sauce. Layer 3 uncooked noodles, 1/3 vegetable mixture, 1/3 cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 provolone/mozzarella mixture, 1/4 marinara. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 1/4 c parmesan and oregano.

• Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.  
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• Serve with a simple salad, crusty bread smeared with roasted garlic, and a lovely bottle of wine.
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