Baked Ziti with Four Cheeses

8 Servings

Ingredients:
1 pound ziti, mostaccioli or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
32 ounce jar pasta sauce
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup chopped parsley
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces part skim mozzarella cheese
4 ounces provolone cheese, cut in quarters

COOK pasta according to package directions; drain.
COAT 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
PLACE a thin layer of sauce in bottom of prepared dish. Continue making layers of pasta, cottage cheese, parsley, sauce, pasta, Parmesan cheese, pasta, mozzarella, parsley, pasta, sauce and parsley.
SPRINKLE provolone on top. Cover and bake in a 375F oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese melts.

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Four Cheeses

Ingredients:
2 pounds pasta, rigatoni or other
1/4 cup pancetta, very thinly sliced, if you can't find pancetta, use regular bacon
2 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casing removed, hot or sweet
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
8 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons julienne basil
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 pounds ricotta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups grated provolone cheese
1 1/2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
28 ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups grated pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan

COOK pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until only halfway cooked, according to
package directions. Drain, and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Toss with a minimal
amount of olive oil to prevent sticking.
COOK pancetta or bacon in large skillet over medium heat until well browned, and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Add sausage to drippings in skillet and cook, breaking up large pieces, until well browned. Transfer to paper towel. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onion, carrot, mushrooms, basil and parsley. Cook until onion is tender, and mushrooms are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Preheat oven to 400F.
SPRAY a large baking pan well with cooking spray. Place ricotta in a large bowl. Gradually
whisk in cream. Stir in stock. Add pasta, pancetta, sausage, onion mixture, provolone,
Gorgonzola, tomatoes, and 1 cup Romano. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
TRANSFER to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining Romano. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until very golden brown, and bubbly.

TIP: Using a variety of mushrooms makes this dish fabulous.

Winter Vegetable Lasagne

8 Servings

Ingredients:
1 pound lasagne, uncooked
2 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, diced
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 cup flour
3 cups low fat milk
1/2 cup white raisins
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, reserved for the top
1/4 cup pinenuts or walnuts, reserved for the top

COOK lasagne according to package directions; drain.
PREHEAT oven to 350F.
MELT margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add onion, squash and carrots. Cook the vegetables over low heat until very soft. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir in raisins, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside 1 cup.
SPREAD a little of the vegetable sauce in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish, over the bottom and cover with lasagne. Sprinkle provolone over lasagne and add more vegetable sauce. Continue to layer sauce, provolone and lasagne, ending with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and nuts. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until nicely browned and heated through.