Cheesy Pasta Bake

Hands-on time: 39 minutes

Total time: 59 minutes

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces uncooked ziti or mostaccioli
• 12 ounces ground turkey breast
• 8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 5 cups marinara sauce (I used Prego)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I used 1/4 cup dried basil)
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (I used shredded)
• 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp small basil leaves or torn basil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain, and set aside.
3. Place turkey and sausage in a medium bowl, and mix well with hands to combine. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan.
4. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and pepper, saute 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add wine, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits, and cook for 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in pasta, turkey mixture, marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup basil. Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese melts and begins to brown. Remove from oven; spring with basil leaves and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves: 8 (1 1/2 cup per serving)

Courtesy Cooking Light, March 2012

Fettuccine with Spinach, Butter, and Cream

The combination of spinach and cream is old-fashioned but great. This sauce is also good with a grating of nutmeg added to it.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces fresh spinach, trimmed, washed. and dried
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, light cream, or half-and-half
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Chop the spinach coarsely. Over medium heat melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet that can later be covered. Add the spinach, along with some salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is very tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, add the cream, and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is tender but firm. When it is just about done, put the remaining butter in a large, warm bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it with the butter and half the Parmesan. Add the spinach sauce and serve, passing the remaining Parmesan at the table.

Side Notes:

• Cooked chicken or shrimp is a great addition to the sauce. I usually add it after the spinach is done cooking and before I add the cream.
• Makes about 4 servings. Reheats really well for leftovers.

Courtesy of How to Cook Everything