Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce box Ziti 
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 3 cups milk 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt (optional) 
• 2 cups Marinara Sauce (roughly one 24oz jar)
• 2 cups shredded cheese 
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 
• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Preparations:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Heat butter in a medium sauce pan until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat until light golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in separate pan until just about to boil.
4. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds and remove from heat. Season with nutmeg and salt and set aside.
5. Simultaneously, Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons salt (optional). Cook Ziti for 30 seconds less than the package instructions.
6. In a large bowl, mix marinara sauce, 1.5 cups of shredded cheese, and grated cheese.
7. In a greased 9x13” baking dish, combine marinara mixture, milk sauce, and ziti. Mix well. Top with remaining 0.5 cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbling and crusty on top. Serve immediately.

Caprese Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole wheat pasta tubes
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, chopped into halves or quarters
• 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce to simmering in a large saucepan. Stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan. 
3. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and dump into the sauce, mixing to coat and turning off heat. 
4. Cut half of the mozzarella into cubes. Fold mozzarella cubes and chopped tomatoes into the pasta. 
5. Then chop 3-4 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. 
6. Once combined, spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire pasta mixture into the dish. Slice remaining mozzarella into rounds and place on top of the pasta.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. 

Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients: 

• .75-1lb of fake meat crumbles
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes, diced (optional)
• 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 25 oz jar pasta sauce
• 12-15 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
• 2 cups shredded cheese

Preparations:

1. Combine the fake meat, onion, pepper, garlic, and sun dried tomato in a bowl. Set aside. {Sidenote: if using frozen meat, just set it out while chopping the vegetables and it should be fine by to combine.)
2. Place the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, herbs, garlic powder, salt and egg in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a crock pot.
4. Place a layer of noodles on top of the sauce, roughly 3-4 noodles, covering the entire surface, breaking the noodles to fit the pot.
5. Layer half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, followed by half of the chopped vegetable mixture, and then 2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese.
6. Repeat with another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture and the chopped vegetable mixture.
7. Pour the remaining pasta sauce on top of the lasagna and top with the remaining cheese.
8. Cook on low for 3.5 hours. 
9. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cook on Low for another half an hour.

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces dried spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces veggie ground beef
• 1/2 chopped onion
• I finely chopped Bell pepper
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups marinara sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup Ricotta cheese (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preparations:

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
2. Return spaghetti to warm saucepan. Stir butter into hot pasta until melted. Stir in egg and Parmesan cheese; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet saute onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until onion is tender and bell beginning to crisp. Add in veggie meat and heat thoroughly. Stir in marinara sauce and seasoning and bring to a simmer.
4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Press spaghetti mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie plate, forming a crust. If using ricotta cheese, create a thin layer on top of spaghetti. Spread meat mixture as third layer. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
5. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese starting to brown.
6. To serve, cut into wedges.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1 cups Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 ounces fresh cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Prep the eggplant by laying the slices on papertowels and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes
3. Combine bread crumbs with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Pour the vegetable oil into a shallow bowl or plate. Dip eggplant in the oil, then bread crumb mixture, coating both sides well. Arrange eggplant in single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Evenly spread marinara sauce over the bottom of a 5x9 inch glass baking dish. Layer 1/3 of the baked eggplant, top each eggplant piece with a slice of garlic, a slice of cheese, and a sprinkling of parmesan, then top with sauce. Repeat for two more layers, but do not place the cheese on the top layer.
5. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and top with shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

Cook Time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

Cheesy Polenta

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese
• 16 oz instant polenta, prepared
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 8x8-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in green pepper, garlic, and green onions; cook until the pepper softens, about 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix together fontina and provolone in a bowl. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread 1/3 of polenta in the dish, top with 1/3 the fontina and provolone mixture. Spread a thin layer of sauce over cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top casserole with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes
5. Can eat purely the polenta or use it as a dip or spread.

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8

Fried Ravioli

Ingredients:

• Olive oil , for frying
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)
• 2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 1 box store-bought bite-size cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 to 2 cups marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 inches of olive oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 275°.
2. While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk in one shallow dish and the seasoned breadcrumbs and some parmesan in another. Working in batches, dip the ravioli in the buttermilk to coat completely, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge the ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet while you coat the remaining ravioli.
3. When you beleive the oil is ready, do a test with one ravioli. When the oil is proved ready, fry the ravioli a few at a time, turning occasionally, until light golden brown and thoroughly heated. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.
4. Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan cheese and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6