Beef and Cheese Manicotti

This recipe is in my top 3. It is pure deliciousness. It’s so good, you just sit there and savor. SAVOR people. The first time I made this it seemed a bit time consuming, so naturally I was ticked and swore I would never make it again. But once I tasted it, it was worth it – and now it goes pretty fast. It is a Giada recipe care of Danielle. Huge plus: the manicotti freezes well.

- 1/2 pound ground beef (I use turkey)

- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (from one onion)

- 1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese

- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 3 teaspoons olive oil

- 12 pieces of manicotti pasta (from one 8 oz box)

- 1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce (I just use plain canned tomato sauce)

Heat a medium size skillet over medium. Add ground beef and onion and saute until meat browns and onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the meat mixture and set aside.

Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over large baking sheet. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook manicotti until softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer manicotti to baking sheet and cool.

Preheat oven to 350. Brush remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Fill manicotti with cheese-meat mixture. (I put the filling in a ziplock and cut the corner to fill the manicotti.) Arrange filled pastas in a single layer in dish. Spoon remaining cup of sauce over manicotti. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and then the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over the manicotti.

Bake uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the bottom of the dish, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Penne Rustica

Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole

I am not sure why the recipe is so huge (3 boxes of pasta!?!) but obviously you can half it or freeze the rest. It actually freezes well. Also, sometimes I add fresh spinach to make myself believe that it is a little more healthy!

Thai Peanut Pasta

• Linguini
• 1 lb. cooked and cubed chicken
• Pineapple chunks drained
• Handful of snow peas

Sauce: (serves 2)

• ¼ c. chicken broth
• 2 T. peanut butter
• ¼ tsp. crushed red peppers
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 T. soy sauce

(The sauce is so great that I double it, but only use ¼ tsp. of red peppers still. You can add more for a hotter sauce. You will want more sauce on it too!)

Cook pasta, and then drain in colander. Put snow peas and chicken cooked and cubed in colander. Put back in pan and add pineapple, and add the sauce.

Sauce:

Heat chicken broth and Peanut Butter until PB melts then add other ingredients and pour on pasta.

(Thanks to my friend Kelli for this excellent recipe!)

spinach salad with pasta and chicken

16 ounces bowtie pasta, cooked al dente

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup Teriyaki sauce (we prefer substituting it for soy sauce)
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach
1 (6-ounce bag) craisins
3 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
6 ounces slivered almonds, cashews or peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

Blend dressing ingredients together in a blender or food processor.
Combine rest of salad ingredients, pasta and dressing in a large bowl and toss.