Portobella Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
8 ounces lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
2 (6-ounce) packages sliced Portobellas
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water1/4 teaspoon fennel seed (or anise seed)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 (28-ounce) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella

PREHEAT the oven to 350*F (175*C). Follow package directions and cook lasagna noodles al dente.
PLACE the mushrooms in a Dutch oven, add salt and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; remove the lid, add fennel, basil and oregano, stir, and cover again. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes. The mushrooms will have released much of their liquid and there should be about 1/2 cup in the pot.
REMOVE mushrooms out of the liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside. Over high heat, reduce the remaining liquid to 2 to 3 tablespoons. Add the marinara sauce; mixing well. Remove from heat.
COMBINE ricotta, egg and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in small bowl; season with salt and pepper; mix well.
LAYER 3 noodles in the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 - inch baking dish. In the order given, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 cup of mozzarella 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat two more times. For the top layer, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated thorough. Remove cover last 5 minutes of baking. Allow lasagna to sit for 15 minutes to before serving.

Homemade Manicotti

6 servings

Ingredients:
Crepe Noodles:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs
salt
Filling:
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
28-ounce jar spaghetti or marinara sauce (or your own)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

PLACE flour in a bowl; whisk in milk, eggs and salt until smooth. Pour about 2 tablespoons onto a hot greased 8-inch skillet; spread to a 5-inch circle. Cook over medium heat until set; do not brown or turn. Repeat with remaining batter, making 18 crepes. Stack crepes between waxed paper; set aside.
filling
COMBINE cheese, egg and parsley. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons down the center of each crepe; roll up. Pour half of the spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Place crepes, seam-side down, over sauce; pour remaining sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350*F (180*C) for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Spinach Souffle Stuffed Shells

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 package Spinach Soufflé
8 large pasta shells, prepared according to package directions
1 container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jar Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9-inch square baking dish.
MIX spinach soufflé, onion, and ricotta cheese. Fill shells with mixture.Place shells in prepared baking dish. Cover with sauce.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over shells. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until hot.

Ravioli Lasagna

4 servings

Ingredienats:

1 package Ravioli, prepared according to package directions, drained
15-ounce low-fat ricotta cheese
10-ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 jar Marinara Sauce*
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*Check out the recipe list for Marinara Sauce recipe

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
GREASE a large oven dish. Place half of the pasta in the baking dish.
MIX ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs and milk in medium bowl. Add half of the sauce and half of the ricotta mixture to each baking dish. Top with half of the remaining pasta and half of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the baking dish with Parmesan cheese. Cover it with foil. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

FREEZING YOUR LASAGNA:
After you are done with preparing, you can cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, then overwrap with foil. You can freeze it for up to 2 months. And when you want to bake it: Place baking dish in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375° F. Remove plastic wrap; recover with foil. Bake for 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Still yummy:)

Shells with Prosciutto, Ricotta and Mushrooms

12 jumbo pasta shells
3 tablespoons butter
2 ounces prosciutto, fat trimmed, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried, crumbled
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 ounce container prepared marinara sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped prosciutto and shallots and cook until shallots are translucent, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until tender and juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta, basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour marinara sauce into bottom of 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon mushroom mixture into each pasta shell. Place in prepared dish. Top with grated Parmesan. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Transfer shells to plates. Spoon sauce over and serve. Serves 2.

Spaghetti with Fennel and Shrimp

15 minutes to prepare
18 minutes to cook

5 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove (1 teaspoon) garlic, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced including some of the feathery portion
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (may substitute 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano)
1 jar Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 box Spaghetti

SAUTE garlic and fennel with olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until fennel begins to soften.
ADD shrimp and oregano to skillet. Raise heat slightly and saute for 3 to 5 additional minutes or until shrimp is cooked.
ADD Marinara Sauces, basil, salt and pepper.
COOK Spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Toss pasta with sauce in skillet while cooking and additional 3 to 5 minutes.
SERVE in a large serving platter immediately.


Tip: *If using frozen shrimp, defrost and drain all liquid.

Stuffed Shells

1/2 pound ricotta cheese (can substitute half of this with fat-free ricotta if you wish)
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
6 ounces jumbo shells
( 1/2 box)About 2 cups Marinara Sauce

CREAM ricotta with eggs and salt in a large bowl to make filling. Stir in mozzarella and parsley.
COOK shells in boiling water according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain and let cool. Coat a 9-by 9inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
POUR in enough Marinara Sauce to coat bottom. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Using a tablespoon, carefully scoop filling into shells and place them in pan. Cover with remaining Marinara Sauce and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.Makes 4 servings.

Baked Penne with Porcini Mushroom Sauce and Mozzarella

30 minutes to prepare
50 minutes to cook

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots
3/4 cup red wine
1 jar Marinara sauce
1 box Penne
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut in 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish.
SOAK porcini mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid, and set aside.BRING a large pot of water to a boil.
HEAT olive oil in a large skillet. Add shallots and sauté until golden.
ADD porcini mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes.
ADD wine, reduce by half.
ADD sauce and simmer 5 minutes.COOK pasta one minute under recommended cooking time. Drain.
ADD pasta to skillet with sauce. Mix well.
MIX in mozzarella cheese. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese.
BAKE for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted

TIP: Pair wih red wine.