Lotsa Pasta

[Mama Mangia]

"Pizzaghetti"

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked & drained
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1-4 oz. pkg. sliced pepperoni
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 c.(12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Cook meat, onion & green pepper until meat is done; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheeses & spaghetti. Spread 1 c. meat sauce in bottom of greased 13"x9" baking dish.Top with 1/2 of spaghetti, 1/2 of remaining sauce, 1 c. mozzarella. Repeat. Sprinkle parmesan over top layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle with an extra bit of basil & garlic salt.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

[Mama Mangia]

Pasta with Broccoli, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Sausage

Steam 2 cups broccoli flowerets in a microwave oven. Prepare 1 pound pasta (like penne) according to package directions. Drain the oil from a 7 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes. Put the oil in a small bowl. Chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Brown 1 pound mild Italian sausage links, sliced into rounds, in a skillet over medium high heat. When the sausage is cooked add the sun dried tomatoes and broccoli to the pan. Drain the pasta and place it into the same pan. Toss well. Add as much of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes as needed to coat the pasta lightly. Toss again. Shave pieces of Parmesan cheese over top. Serve the pasta from the skillet with garlic rolls and a tossed salad.

[Mama Mangia]

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 cup white wine
1 2/3 cups soymilk or cream or half and half
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup flour
2 cups fresh vegetables (try broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, and zucchini), cut into small pieces
1 pound pasta, cooked

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until tender. Add the oregano, thyme, and rosemary, and saute a few minutes more. Add the wine and bring to a boil.

Add the soymilk, margarine, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Return the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally until the margarine melts. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition to avoid lumps. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

Place the vegetables in a steamer or metal sieve over boiling water and steam until just tender. To serve, toss the vegetables with the freshly cooked pasta. Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables, and toss to mix.

[Mama Mangia]

Ziti al Forno

1 lb ziti, cooked
1 lb hamburger, cooked
1 lb ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups tomato sauce of your choice


Mix ricotta cheese, egg, parsley and Parmesan cheese together.
Carefully mix the hamburger with this mixture. Add ziti.
Mix in 3/4 of the tomato sauce of your choice. Spread in a pan.
Put the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

[Mama Mangia]

Herb-Stuffed Pasta

8 ounces jumbo pasta shells or manicotti
8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, basil, tarragon, OR thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Cook pasta as directed; do not overcook. Drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, combine cheeses, then mix in eggs and seasonings. Stir in bread crumbs last. Stuff each pasta shell with a bit of the cheese-herb mixture. Arrange stuffed shells in a greased, covered casserole and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, until filling is hot.

**I use all ricotta most of the time - leaving out the cream cheese.

[Mama Mangia]

White Tie and Tails


8 ounces Bow Ties, Radiatore or other medium pasta shape -- uncooked
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated low-sodium Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup 1/4-inch prosciutto chips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
OR
2 teaspoons dried basil

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat half-and-half in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; do not boil. Add blue, Swiss and Romano cheeses. Reduce heat; cook and stir until cheeses are blended and sauce is smooth; remove from heat.

When pasta is done, drain well. Pour sauce over cooked pasta; toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and basil. Serve immediately.

[Mama Mangia]

Spaghetti Torte

1 pound uncooked spaghetti or other pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
4 egg whites
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 slices provolone cheese, cut into fourths


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x3 inch springform pan with cooking spray.

2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, and drain.

3. While spaghetti is cooking, combine Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, and egg whites in a large bowl. Toss with cooked spaghetti to coat.

4. Press half the spaghetti mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the basil, and top with half the tomatoes and half the provolone cheese. Press remaining spaghetti mixture into pan, sprinkle with remaining basil, and top with remaining tomatoes. Place remaining provolone cheese over the top.

5. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes, remove sides of pan, transfer to a serving platter. Cut into wedges to serve.

[Mama Mangia]

Lasagna Roll Ups

Filling:
3/4 pound lasagna, cooked al dente
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg - optional
Salt to taste
2 drops hot pepper sauce, or cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup whole-milk mozzarella cheese, grated
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles until barely done. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Pesto Sauce:
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/3 cup ground walnuts
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced green onion
2 garlic cloves
Dash of salt
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

To Assemble:
Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling over each lasagna noodle. Roll up the lasagna end to end (jelly-roll style) and cut each roll-up in half, keeping jelly-roll style. Place cut-side down in a greased baking dish. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of pesto sauce over each roll-up. Cover tightly with buttered foil and bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes.

[Mama Mangia]

Shrimp Linguine with Basil Garlic Butter s


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound shrimp, large, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 tablespoons basil, fresh, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound linguine, cooked
grated Asiago cheese

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink. Add the garlic and basil. Add the butter. Toss in the cooked pasta. Garnish with the cheese.

[Mama Mangia]

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta


Using evaporated milk instead of cream gives this dish a creamy feel
without the fat.

1 package (12-oz.) Fettuccine
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook red bell
pepper and garlic for 30 seconds or until softened slightly. Add to
pasta along with evaporated milk and Parmesan cheese. Cook over
medium-high heat, stirring gently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce
is heated thoroughly and thickened slightly.

Add shrimp and peas; stir gently until heated thoroughly. Remove from
heat; let stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Garnish each
serving with parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired. Season with
salt and pepper according to taste.