Pasta – Page 5 – The Pajama Chef

Mom’s Lasagna

October 21, 2012 Sarah

So, I’m super excited about this pasta recipe I have to share with you today. It is my absolute favorite of all time. I know people say [myself included] that something is their favorite, or the best, and most of the time, that’s a huge exaggeration to emphasize how good something is. But this time… I am 100% serious. My Mom’s lasagna is my absolute favorite pasta dish, or dinner for that matter. It’s my Grandma’s recipe [the same Grandma of the famed blueberry muffins] and it can’t be beat. I just call it Mom’s Lasagna cause a) the recipe is from my mom, b) the recipe originated with her mom, and c) that’s how it’s written on the recipe card. That’s a lotta mom, so it’s gotta be good.

This lasagna is the perfect mix of cheesy goodness and rich tomato meat sauce. I recently started making my own sauce, and I can’t wait to share the recipe later in the week, btw. It’s made in the crockpot and it’s super easy and flavorful. But that recipe will have a chance to shine later–right now it’s lasagna’s turn. 🙂

I know a lot of lasagnas favor special ingredients like Italian sausage, veggies, or fancy cheeses, and those are good. I’ll never turn down a hearty slice of lasagna… but those aren’t the cozy, comforting lasagna from my childhood. I can’t tell you how many birthdays or weekend visits home from college featured this lasagna, and I’ll never get sick of eating it.

The base of the cheesy layer [aside from the mozzarella and parmesan] is not ricotta cheese, as many expect, but rather cottage cheese. I know that’s a semi-common substitute that may not sound the most appealing… but I promise promise PROMISE that using cottage cheese is not only a more frugal choice, but actually a creamier choice that highlights the flavor of the smooth mozzarella, sharp parmesan, chewy noodles, and sweet, bold tomato sauce. If you want to sub ricotta I won’t be offended [and actually have tried it myself], but I prefer cottage cheese in this and use ricotta other times.

Every bite of this saucy, meaty, cheesy hearty lasagna is savored, cherished, and devoured in our house. It’s actually a little embarrassing how much of the pan we can chow down on when it’s piping hot out of the oven. Now you can enjoy it too!

For the record, I’m not entirely sure why I haven’t shared this recipe on the blog yet, but I am glad I hadn’t. See, a few weeks ago I got an email from Sarah at Yahoo!’s Shine Supper Club inviting me to join the monthly recipe challenge club. Each month has a theme, and October’s happened to be favorite pasta recipes. So this was totally perfect!! If you have a blog, definitely check it out and see how you can get involved. I’ll be back later to link up other entries for this month so be sure to come back and check those out too.

We love this lasagna and hope you do too!

What’s essential to your favorite lasagna?

Mom’s Lasagna
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Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles [regular not no-cook]
1 pound ground beef
28 ounces spaghetti sauce [homemade or your favorite jarred sauce; can really use 24-36 ounces]
16 ounces cottage cheese [or ricotta]
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2-1 cup grated parmesan cheese [depending on preference]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin by heating a large pot of water to boiling to cook the lasagna noodles. Next, brown ground beef and drain, then stir in spaghetti sauce.

Meanwhile, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, oregano, garlic, and black pepper. When water is boiling, cook noodles almost to al dente [I usually cook them a minute or so under the time on the package]. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

Prepare lasagna by first placing a layer of sauce [about 1/5 of the sauce] in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Top with 3 noodles, then 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, and a 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Repeat twice, ending with a layer of sauce.

Bake, uncovered, for 60 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Time: 90 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Summery Squash and Chicken Lasagna

August 8, 2012August 7, 2012 Sarah

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… poor, poor Ben and his experimental cook of a wife [that’s me, in case you were confused]. I can’t remember exactly when this was, but it was a couple summers ago. Ben came home from work and I proudly announced that I had made pasta. Like, from scratch. He was super impressed… and then sorely disappointed to discover that I hadn’t made fancy, familiar pasta, but rather zucchini “pasta.” It was something like this: long, thin strips of noodle-like zucchini. Though Ben was a dutiful, sweet husband that night and ate his “pasta” with as much gusto as he could reckon, after dinner was over, he promptly declared “never again.” Frankly, I was pretty glad. I like veggies more than the average person, I think, but when I want pasta, I want pasta. I want pasta like this.

Gooey. Cheesy. Herby. Veggie-licious, yet still utterly ridiculous.

So how did I get from fake-out pasta to this lasagna ridiculousness?

Well, last week I was looking around the fridge and spied some leftover grated zucchini as well as a big ‘ole yellow squash. I did a little googling and to my surprise, most of the pasta recipes involving these adaptable, versicle, hearty veggies that are so awesome in taking on the other flavors of a dish are either for the banned zucchini “pasta” or else include large chunks of squash. Large chunks of squash aren’t really my cup of tea, so I decided to get creative.

The heart of this Summery Squash and Chicken Lasagna is not the layers of luscious shredded cheese, cottage cheese [could also use ricotta], or even the homemade garlicky alfredo sauce. No, the star of the show was the lemony-herb chicken vegetable filling. This filling pairs mild squash with juicy tomatoes, bright parsley, tangy lemon, and just enough chicken to satisfy the meat lovers in your life.

Summery Squash and Chicken Lasagna is the comfort food version of light summer pasta, for sure. We loved that this lasagna wasn’t as heavy as traditional versions are, yet it still added a bit of richness to our evening meal. A richness that was tempered by the sweet, sour, and fresh tastes of summertime produce. Maybe another way to explain that richness, would be to say gold medal greatness, huh? Mhmm, you know what I mean if you were watching Aly Raisman’s gymnastics last night. Gold medal greatness right there… and ta da, right here! And it can be yours, in your very own kitchen. Yay! There will be good things in life when the Olympics are over. 🙂 And this lasagna is #1 on my list. Enjoy!

Summery Squash and Chicken Lasagna [a TPC original; alfredo sauce from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe]
click to print

Ingredients:

for alfredo sauce

4 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese [regular or low-fat], softened and cut into 12 pieces
2 cups skim milk
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch

for filling #1

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded [mine was from a chicken I roasted, but store bought rotisserie chicken would work too]
1 cup grated zucchini, packed
1 cup grated yellow squash, packed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped [I used a yellow pear variety]
1/4 cup parsley, loosely packed and minced
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

for filling #2

1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
pinch oregano
pinch garlic salt

8 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8×8 [9×9 should work too] baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Begin by making the alfredo sauce.

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese piece by piece, stirring until smooth between additions. Mixture may appear curdled, but keep stirring. After about 3 minutes, you’ll be rewarded with a smooth paste. Next, slowly add milk in 1/4 cup increments. Make sure the milk is fully incorporated before adding the next 1/4 cup. Then, stir in parmesan cheese and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, mixing until cheese completely melts. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to thicken, then cover and remove from heat.

Next, combine chicken, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes in a bowl. Fold in parsley, lemon zest and juice, and red pepper. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, oregano, and garlic salt. Top with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, then mix to combine.

Assemble the lasagna by spreading a thin layer of alfredo sauce [about 1/5 of the total amount] on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with two [uncooked] lasagna noodles, 1/4 of the cottage cheese mixture, 1/4 of the chicken/squash mixture, and 1/4 of the cheese. Repeat layering sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, chicken/squash, and cheese 3 more times–making 4 layers–then end with a layer of sauce.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Remove from oven and wait 10 minutes before slicing.

Time: 90 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Ham & Cheese Baked Pasta

April 23, 2012April 22, 2012 Sarah

I meant to share this recipe last week so you had a use for your leftover Easter ham… but alas, school got in the way. As Stephanie Tanner would say, “how rude!” I mean, why should school be more important than blogging? Kidding!

But despite the delay, this pasta is still as awesome as it was two weeks ago when I made it. I glazed the Easter ham this year with a mixture of 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Before brushing on the glaze, I scored the ham in diamond criss-cross pattern and stuck whole cloves in the points. After we feasted on the ham for dinner, I whipped up the leftovers into something just as fabulous.

It’s warm, comfy baked pasta dotted with savory ham, crisp broccoli, and sweet red bell pepper all wrapped up in a gooey, garlicky, cheese sauce that is utterly out of this world. Topped with some crunchy Panko bread crumbs, you’ll have a hard time saying no to seconds [or thirds!].

Hungry? Hope so!

Ham & Cheese Baked Pasta
click to print

Ingredients:

9 ounces uncooked pasta, such as penne or ziti [approximately 3 cups dry]
3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups skim milk
8 ounces grated Colby cheese
heaping 1/2 tablespoon whole grain dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1 small red bell pepper, diced [heaping 1/2 cup]
8 ounces cooked ham, chopped
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta to al dente, adding broccoli during the last minute of cooking. Return pasta and broccoli to pan.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in flour slowly, cooking until bubbly. Then add milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in Colby, mustard, and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir until cheese melts, then pour cheese sauce over pasta. Add bell pepper and ham, and mix until combined.

Pour into ungreased 2 quart baking dish, top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Time: 45 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Turkey, Spinach, and Kale Stuffed Shells

March 25, 2012May 6, 2015 Sarah

So, once upon a time almost three years ago, I made spinach-filled manicotti. Ben loved it, I hated it. It tasted like spinach cottage cheese to me. That’s because my mom’s lasagna [which I oddly enough, haven’t ever blogged about even though it’s amazing] uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta, and I thought that substitution would work in other dishes. Turns out I was wrong. Blech! Ever since that day, I’ve been wary of spinach in baked pasta dishes. I know it’s not the spinach’s fault, and I love it in other things, but in pasta now? No thanks.

When I heard through the Secret Recipe Club that Jey at The Jey of Cooking was raising money for the American Heart Association in honor of her mom’s heart transplant by asking bloggers to make a heart-healthy dish, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to get back into the spinach pasta game.

And get back into it, I did.

See that? I call it Turkey, Spinach, and Kale Stuffed Shells. From the outside, it looks like your typical cheesy, saucy stuffed shells. Delicious, right? Needs no explanation, you assume. Wrong! On the inside, you’ll find a creamy sauce made with lots of greens like spinach and kale, a bit of hearty meat, your typical Italian seasonings, and enough to ricotta and parmesan cheese to enjoy but not be weighted down by. Extra creaminess comes from fat free Greek yogurt. Perfecto!

So why is this recipe heart healthy? Well, for one, it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef [lower in fat and calories]–and the amount of meat is reduced to be more of a “condiment” or flavoring than the focus. The focus of these shells is the greens. Kale is one of the healthiest greens around, thanks to its vitamins and minerals, as well as its ability to lower cholesterol when eaten cooked. Pretty neat. Spinach isn’t bad for you either, and this recipe does not taste bad… unlike my previous attempt… so I’m in, and hope you’ll be too! I know you’ll love this cheesy, veggie filled, hearty take on traditional stuffed shells. Please head over to Jey’s blog to read more about what she’s doing to honor her mom and check out the recipe roundup on March 30th!

Turkey, Spinach, and Kale Stuffed Shells
click to print

Ingredients:

12 ounce package jumbo pasta shells [approximately 36 shells]
1/2 pound ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh kale, packed tightly
2 cups fresh spinach, packed tightly
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
dash ground nutmeg
1 25 ounce jar marinara sauce [I used Muir Glen Cabernet Marinara]
1/2 cup shredded cheese [I used a pizza blend cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, romano) because I had it, but mozzarella or any Italian blend would work fine.]
freshly ground lemon pepper

Directions:

Begin by boiling a large pot of salted water for the shells. Once boiling, add shells and cook to al dente. Then drain, rinse with cold water, and spread out on a baking sheet to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Then, brown ground turkey in a skillet. Add garlic to pan to saute when turkey is almost done cooking. Drain any excess fat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine kale, spinach, ricotta, and greek yogurt and process until greens are chopped very finely. You may have to do this in two batches, or add more greens as you go depending on the size of your food processor.

Remove greens mixture to a mixing bowl, then add cooked turkey, parmesan cheese, black pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper. Stir together until incorporated.

Spoon a small amount of marinara sauce [~ 1/2 cup] on bottom of a large baking dish*. Then fill each shell with about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of kale/turkey mixture and place in baking dish. Repeat until all shells are filled, then cover with remaining marinara sauce. You want the shells to be covered, but not drowning in sauce. Top with shredded cheese and lemon pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Time: 45 minutes [15 minutes active]
Yield: 8 servings.
Notes: *Regarding the baking dishes: I used a 9×13 pan and two individual size serving dishes, but you could use two square baking dishes [eat one and freeze/give away the other] or just use a larger dish [11×15]. Or just halve the recipe to begin with!

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

SRC: Mexican Chicken Alfredo

February 6, 2012February 19, 2016 Sarah

Good news! The Secret Recipe Club is back! We took a break in January, but are now back in action. If you’ve missed my other SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. It’s a fun way to find new blogs and be stretched to try new recipes, cooking styles, etc. Then, everyone posts about their assigned blog on the same day. It’s so fun–if you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining.

This month I was assigned Raina’s blog, Connor’s Cooking. Raina is a busy mom of four, but she still manages to find time to blog multiple times per week about the recipes her family loves. So impressive! Her kids seem like very adventurous eaters–I don’t know many kids who would eat Stuffed Pepper Soup or Cajun Shrimp Skewers. Everything on her blog sounded amazingly delicious and not all stereotypical kid food [though some kid food is excellent!]. After perusing her blog, I could hardly decide what to make–everything sounded so good. So, I left the choice up to Ben and he decided on Mexican Chicken Alfredo.

Best decision ever. Yes!

Think spicy chicken in a creamy Alfredo sauce tossed with tender noodles, salsa, and corn. What’s not to love? Plus, it was easy to mix everything up in a big skillet on the stove and pour into a casserole dish for baking. My kinda comfort food, for sure. 🙂 I didn’t make a lot of changes to the original recipe, but did use homemade taco seasoning and homemade Alfredo sauce, both of which I highly recommend if you have time. If not–no worries. It was the weekend, and I was feeling ambitious. But don’t be afraid–the ambition part is more time-related than anything. The Alfredo sauce isn’t something to be intimidated about–it’s really quite simple, and lends itself well to Raina’s Mexican Chicken Alfredo miracle. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks, Raina!

Mexican Chicken Alfredo

Servings: 10-12
Time: 60 minutes
Print

from Connor’s Cooking, Alfredo sauce from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

16 ounces spiral pasta [I used rotini]
4 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese [regular or low-fat], softened and cut into 12 pieces
2 1/4 cups skim milk, divided
2 cups parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes [original called for 2 pounds, but 1 was enough–2 wouldn’t have fit in the pan]
1 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided [I made my own from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe]
1 cup medium salsa
1 cup frozen corn

Directions:

Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil and preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Next, begin on Alfredo sauce.

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese piece by piece, stirring until smooth between additions. Mixture may appear curdled, but keep stirring. After about 3 minutes, you’ll be rewarded with a smooth paste. Next, slowly add a total of 2 cups milk in 1/4 cup increments. Make sure the milk is fully incorporated before adding the next 1/4 cup. Then, stir in 1 cup parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon pepper, mixing until cheese completely melts. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to thicken, then cover and remove from heat.

By now, the pasta water should be boiling, so add pasta and cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, begin on the chicken.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning to the pan, stir, and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Then, pour in Alfredo sauce [if it’s homemade, give it a good stir first] and bring to a boil. Add remaining 1/4 cup milk, remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, salsa, and corn. Mix well, then pour into an ungreased 9×13 inch baking pan.

Drain pasta and fold into chicken mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. I baked mine uncovered but just noticed the original said to cover it. Works either way! Serve and enjoy. 🙂

Notes: If not using homemade Alfredo sauce, substitute 30-32 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce. Original recipe also suggests dividing meal in half; baking one now and freezing one portion in a 8×8 inch pan for up to 3 months. To use frozen casserole: thaw in fridge overnight, then remove to counter top for 30 minutes prior to baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Click on over to check out other posts from today’s reveal of the SRC. Have a great day!