Spaghetti with Tuscan Diced Vegetable Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 large artichoke
1 large lemon, cut in half
2 medium-sized zucchini
1 large stalk celery
1 medium-sized red onion, peeled
1 medium-sized carrot, scraped
20 large sprigs parsley, leaves only
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ripe, fresh tomatoes or 1 pound canned tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1 pound dried spaghetti
salt

PLACE the artichoke in a bowl of cold water with the lemon halves; put the zucchini and celery in a second large bowl of cold water and soak both for 30 minutes.
CHOP the onion, carrot, and parsley. Place the oil in a heavy, medium-sized flameproof casserole over low heat, and when the oil is warm, add the chopped ingredients and sautè for 10 minutes.
CLEAN the artichoke and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then into 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the celery into similar-sized pieces. Add the vegetables to the casserole, sautè for 2 minutes, then cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every so often with a wooden spoon.
CUT tomatoes them into pieces. Pass fresh or canned tomatoes through a food mill, using the disc with the smallest hole into a ceramic or glass bowl. Add tomatoes to the casserole and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Cover and cook for 20 minutes more. Add the broth, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, taste for salt and pepper. (The sauce may be prepared a day in advance, refrigerated in a covered ceramic or glass bowl and reheated before using.)
BRING a large pot of cold water to a boil, add coarse salt to taste, then add the pasta and cook for 9 to 12 minutes depending on the brand. As the pasta cooks, warm a large serving dish and ladle some of the sauce onto it. Drain the pasta, transfer it to a prepared platter, add the remaining sauce, mix well and serve hot.

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.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce over Tortellini

2 servings

Ingredients:
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini (or meat-filled)
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red sweet peppers, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar

COOK tortellini according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
PLACE roasted sweet pepper in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Set aside.
sauce
COOK the onion and garlic in a medium saucepan in butter until tender. Add pureed roasted peppers, thyme, oregano and sugar. Cook and stir until heated through.
POUR sauce over the tortellini. Toss to coat.

Penne with Herbed Zucchini and Goat Cheese

2 servings

Ingredients:
6 ounces penne or other tubular pasta
3 medium zucchini
1 large garlic clove
2 teaspoons mixed fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram leaves
2 ounces (1/4 cup) soft mild goat cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

FILL a 4-quart kettle three-fourths full with salted water and bring water to a boil for pasta.
HALVE zucchini lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Thinly slice garlic lengthwise and finely chop herbs. Crumble goat cheese.
HEAT oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté zucchini, stirring, until browned and just tender. Stir in garlic and herbs and sauté, stirring, 1 minute.
COOK pasta in boiling water until al dente and reserve 1 cup cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander and in a bowl toss with zucchini mixture, cheese, 1/4 cup reserved cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste, adding additional reserved cooking water if necessary.

Mixed Bounty Grill

6 servings

Ingredients:
8 ounces (2 1/2 cups) uncooked dried rotini or whole wheat corkscrew pasta
2 yellow and/or red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound (6) asparagus spears, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh garlic
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
salt
4 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes

COOK rotini according to package directions. Drain. Keep warm.
COOK peppers and onion over medium heat in large grill pan, stirring occasionally, until softened (5 to 7 minutes). Add asparagus; continue grilling until vegetables are crisply tender (4 to 6 minutes).
COMBINE vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic, mustard and salt in large bowl with wire whisk. Add tomatoes; toss gently.
ADD grilled vegetables to tomato mixture; toss gently to coat.

Mediterranean Pasta with Pistachios

4 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups onion, cut into narrow wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil (can use oil drained from tomatoes)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 cup pistachios
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
1 tablespoon dry basil
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley (optional)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces angel hair pasta (capellini), broken up

SAUTE onions in oil in 12-inch skillet for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Stir flour into onions and garlic; add wine and cook, stirring until mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Add pistachios, tomatoes, basil, oregano and parsley to pan and heat through. Keep warm.
COOK pasta in boiling water 3 to 5 minutes or just until tender (note package directions). Drain.
Combine pasta and sauce; sprinkle with cheese and toss lightly. Offer additional cheese as garnish, if desired.

Fusilli Provencal

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
Salt1 cup trimmed and chopped string beans (2 inch lengths)
1 pound dried or fresh fusilli or another short, chunky pasta shape
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained of excess oil and cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 cups milled or crushed canned plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

BRING a large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the water boils, add the green beans and cook about 8 minutes, until tender all the way through; with a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking.
RETURN the water to the boil. Add the pasta, stir well, and cover until it returns to the boil. Uncover and boil until just tender to the bite all the way thorough.
MAKE the sauce: In a skillet (with a lid) large enough to hold the pasta later on, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, stir, cover and cook 4 minutes. Add the cooked green beans, both kinds of tomatoes, oregano, and salt to taste, and cook, uncovered, 2 minutes more.
Reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix well, adding a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water if needed to coat the pasta evenly. Cover and cook 1 minute. Taste for salt. Serve immediately, generously sprinkled with Parmesan.

Zesty California Walnut Penne

4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 green onions, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried oregano, thyme or savory or mixture of these
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
ground pepper
parsley

HEAT oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and sauté, stirring, 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, 1 minute. Add tomatoes breaking up with wooden spoon, herbs and walnuts. Cook, stirring, 10 to 15 minutes. If mixture thickens too much, add a little chicken stock or red wine.
COOK pasta, stirring, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well; return pasta to pot. Pour walnut-tomato sauce over pasta and toss to coat.
SPRINKLE with Asiago cheese and season to taste with pepper. Serve on heated plates. Garnish with parsley.

TIP: Serve this simple yet sensational meatless meal with cole slaw or tossed salad. Delicious!

Italian Bolognese for Spaghetti

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pound minced steak
1/4 cup tomato paste
13 ounce can tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cups water
salt & black pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked
grated Parmesan cheese

HEAT oil in large frying pan. Add onion and cook until golden, stirring constantly. Stir in meat and quickly cook until browned on all sides. Add tomato paste. Push tomatoes and juice through sieve. Add to pan. Stir in basil, oregano and water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour or until sauce has a thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over hot spaghetti garnished with parmesan cheese. Bring large pan of water to boil. Put in spaghetti and cook until tender, usually from 8 to 12 minutes.

Low Fat Vegetable Lasagna

8 Servings

Ingredients:
9 pieces lasagne, uncooked
1 medium yellow onion, chopped,
about 1 cup1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed, drained thoroughly
salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups meatless tomato or spaghetti sauce
15 ounce container part skim or reduced fat ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded, part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

COOK pasta according to package directions; drain and cover with cool water until ready to use.
COMBINE onions and oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Spoon out half the onions and reserve for later. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the skillet. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the mushrooms are tender and slightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the parsley and a pinch of salt; transfer to a bowl.
ADD the reserved cooked onion and the spinach to the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
UNCOVER and cook over medium heat to evaporate any excess moisture, about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt. Heat oven to 350F. Drain the lasagne and pat dry with paper towels. MIX the oregano and basil with the tomato sauce.
SPREAD 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 3 inch pan.
ARRANGE 3 lasagne pieces, slightly overlapping, in the pan. Spoon the spinach mixture on top in an even layer. Spread with half of the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Exceptional American Lasagna

8 servings

30 minutes to prepare

1 hour 30 minutes to cook

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

BROWN ground beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, and drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Boil lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
MIX together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
LAYER 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
BAKE in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Wine Tip: Try with red wine.

Las Cruces Lasagne Rolls

6 servings

Ingredients:
12 pieces of lasagne, uncooked
15 ounce part skim Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

Sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoons chili powder
2 of 16 ounce cans low sodium stewed tomatoes
4 ounce can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano


COOK pasta according to the package directions.

Sauce:
SAUTE sauté onion and minced garlic in oil in a large skillet.

MIX tomatoes, chiles and remaining sauce ingredients in the skillet. Simmer for 15 minutes.

SET aside 1 cup of sauce for later.

Filling:
MIX ricotta cheese, beaten eggs and cilantro in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, add remainder to filling and mix well.

COVER bottom of 10 x 6 inch baking dish with 1/4 of sauce. Spread approximately 1/4 cup cheese filling on each noodle, and roll into a cylinder. Arrange rolls on top of sauce in baking dish. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cover and bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven.

POUR remaining of the sauce over lasagna.

Spaghetti with Swordfish, Zucchini and Oregano

1 hour to prepare
31 minutes to cook

5 servings

Ingredients
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white onion, julienne
3-4 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 pound swordfish, cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 box Spaghetti


SAUTE onion with olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until golden.
ADD zucchini and continue cooking until zucchini is soft.
ADD swordfish; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Add oregano; set aside.
COOK pasta acording to package directions. Drain and add to skillet. Mix well and transfer to a serving platter or bowl.

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.

Italian gift

Great taste, great smell!

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausages
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound rigatoni pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

HEAT the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.

REMOVE the sausages from the pan.Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.

CUT the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each. Return the sausages to the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

COOK pasta while the sauce simmers. Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Marinara Sauce - rich and hearty

20 minutes to prepare
3 hours to cook

5 servings

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded red bell pepper onion
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

SAUTE onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat until they start to become clear. COMBINE in a pot, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, oregano, parsley, basil and olive oil. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for at least 1 hour, however, 3 hours of cooking develops better flavor and consistency.

Marinara Sauce - all purpose

15 minutes to prepare
40 minutes to cook

Original recipe yield:6 quarts

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bulb garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and sliced
4 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
4 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup capers
1 cup pitted green olives, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon habanero hot sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin

DIRECTIONS
HEAT the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the garlic until lightly browned. Drain excess oil.
MIX in the whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, green chiles, tomato paste, capers, green olives, parsley, portobello mushroom caps, horseradish, habanero sauce, and sugar. Season with Italian seasoning, oregano, and cumin.
COVER and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 25 minutes.