Red Wine Pasta

Whew, it has been a long time since I have been in the kitchen! We had a wonderful time at the beach, but it feels good to be home. I had some amazing food while we were away, and I can't wait to make some copycats and share them with you!

This recipe, however, I actually made before we left. I threw this pasta sauce together on the fly one night, and it has been earning raves ever since.


1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6-7 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup red wine
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pot. When heated, saute onion and green pepper until tender. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Pour in tomatoes and wine and stir until combined. Add sugar, red pepper, salt and pepper, and cheese. Cook until flavors combine, about 30-45 minutes. Toss with pasta and top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Cheddar Risotto

I love risotto. It's like the cheesy rice I used to make as a kid, just all grown up. Just about every risotto recipe out there calls for at least 1/4 cup of wine or a bottle of beer, depending on the recipe, but with the little guy on the way, my risotto is strictly a virgin affair. Nevertheless, this recipe, based on this one from Made by Melissa, is fantastic. We added 3/4 cup of peas to give it some green and make us feel like we were being healthy, but feel free to add or subtract veggies as you see fit!1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 small onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
5.5 cups of chicken broth
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
3/4 cup green peas

Pour chicken broth into saucepan and warm.

Heat large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat just until butter is melted. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until union is soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until opaque, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice.

(At this point, if you're making risotto with alcohol, deglaze the pan with either 1/3 cup of dry white wine or a 12 oz. bottle of beer. Stir until the liquid is just about gone and the alcohol is burned off. Then continue on with the rest of the recipe.)

Turn heat back to medium-low and add the chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring until liquid is gone before adding another ladle. (You may not use all of the broth.) Risotto should be creamy and slightly al dente.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses and peas. (If you prefer it sharper, use more cheddar; milder, more mozzarella. It's up to you!)

Pizza Sauce

Pizza sauce from a jar is just so easy. But, at the same time, it's just, well, there. So I decided that we had plenty of fresh herbs in the garden and crushed tomatoes in the cupboard, so it was time to try to make our own.

One small disclaimer: This is what my mom and I call a "Joann White Recipe." Joann White was my grandmother, and she often just grabbed whatever looked good from the cabinet and tossed it in. Never had a bad meal at her house, so I think that's a pretty good way of going about things! So, should you feel I'm missing anything, feel free to play Joann and toss it in for yourself!

1 can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. marjoram
2 gloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. onion flakes
2 tsp. sugar

Combine ingredients over medium-high heat and stir until flavors combine. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to use.

This is also fantastic frozen. I intend to make a few batches before the little guy comes to make pizza nights this winter much easier!

Lasagna

Some days, there's nothing more comforting than a big ol' pan of lasagna. This one was honestly the best I've ever made - has to be due to the amazing pasta sauce I used!

1 pot Joe's Amazing Pasta Sauce
1 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
15 oz. light ricotta cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper
12 no boil lasagna noodles (regular cooked noodles will work fine too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1 cup mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses with egg and season with salt and pepper.

Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle in sauce to cover bottom of pan. Top with four lasagna noodles. Cover with another layer of sauce, and add 1/3 of cheese mixture. Stir to combine with sauce. Top with another thin layer of sauce, then layer in 4 more noodles. Repeat until all noodles and cheese have been used, then finish with a final layer of sauce to cover. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove cover and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Joe's Amazing Pasta Sauce

When we first started co-kitchening, my husband Joe was never very happy on spaghetti nights. He ate it like the good soul he is, but I knew he wasn't a fan of tomato sauce from a jar. So one night midway through my first trimester, we decided to make pasta sauce from scratch. Lo and behold, my Italian husband can make an AMAZING from-scratch pasta sauce! Never again will I waver between Ragu and Prego - he's signed on for a kitchen job for life!!!
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 green pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1.5 tsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1.5 pounds ground beef
3 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/8 cup sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Saute herbs, vegetables, and garlic in EVOO over medium heat. Add meat and brown. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Stir in sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, an additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness.

Seafood Stuffed Shells

16 pasta shells
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cup part-skim Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped shrimp (or whole salad shrimp)
1 cup Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion flakes
salt, pepper, and other spices to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil pasta shells until al dente in texture. Drain and set aside.

Combine Parmesan cheese, hefty 1/2 cup shrimp, ricotta cheese, and spices in a large bowl. Spoon evenly into pasta shells (about 1-2 heaping Tbsp in each). Place in baking dish.

Combine Alfredo sauce, white wine, tomatoes, and remaining shrimp in medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until combined. Pour sauce over shells in baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese, and bake additional 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce

I admit it, to the hard-core foodies out there, this will be an insult to your kitchen-telligence. However, when you want a nice dinner with the hubby after a long day, this is great with garlic bread, tossed salad, and a bottle (or two) of Riesling. Enjoy!

1 roasted red pepper, drained
1 jar light Alfredo sauce (I usually go for Ragu, but any will do)
Whole wheat pasta (Barilla is my fave)

Directions:
Blend red pepper until smooth. Stir into Alfredo sauce, then heat through. Serve over pasta.

WW Info:
Pasta: 3 Points per 1-cup serving
Sauce: 2 Points per 1/4-cup serving
Additional Points for wine, bread, and salad as needed

Chicken Parmesan

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, whisked
1 cup bread crumbs (don't worry, you won't use anywhere near the entire cup, it's just to ensure there's enough to coat all of the chicken)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
Dash salt and pepper
EVOO
Part-skim mozzarella cheese
Pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Coat chicken in egg, then dredge through chicken mixture. Brush each side with EVOO and place in skillet. Heat on medium-high heat for 2 minutes, or until coating is crispy. Flip and do the same on reverse side.

Spray glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken in dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, add 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese to each chicken breast, and pour pasta sauce over entire dish (not enough to fill it up, just enough to cover the bottom). Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

VERY good over whole wheat pasta!

WW Info:
6 Points per chicken breast
(Add additional points for any pasta)