WEEKNIGHT SPAGHETTI

Servings: 6

This recipe is sure to cure the weeknight pasta itch, its easy, hearty and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Italian sausages without casings [I used chicken sausages]

1 zucchini

1 bell pepper, any color

1 jar of your favorite store bought spaghetti sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

12oz cooked spaghetti

Fresh Parmesan cheese  for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rough chop the veggies.

2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, place sausage in skillet. Cook until evenly brown, crumbling it as it cooks.

3. Add veggies, cook for another few minutes until veggies are soft but not over cooked.

4. Pour in Spaghetti sauce, bring temp down bring the boil then simmer for 5 minutes or so.

5.  Serve this incredibly delicious sauce over cooked spaghetti and garnish with lots of Parmesan!

CHILI MAC

Servings: 4

CHILI MAC is an all American one pot hearty meal that will satisfy even the pickiest eater out there! Its hearty enough to serve alone but also pairs well with a big green salad or steamed green beans.

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef *

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 [14.5oz can] stewed tomatoes

1 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce

3 tbsp canned green chili peppers

3 tsp chili seasoning

2 cups of whole-wheat elbow macaroni*

1 [150z] can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Optional Garnish:

sour cream

sliced scallions

shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large skillet cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown, about 15 minutes.

2.  Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili peppers, chili seasoning; bring to a boil.

3. Stir in uncooked macaroni and kidney beans. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Garnish with sour cream, scallions and cheese!

* This super easy recipe is pretty much just a template that can be modified with what you’ve got in the fridge and pantry. For example you could ground chicken instead of meat and white pasta shells instead of the whole-wheat elbow macaroni. Cooking is not an exact science, roll with what you’ve got and remember to taste as you cook!

CREAMY SPAGHETTI DISH

Servings: 8

Ingredients: 

16oz cooked spaghetti

8oz sour cream

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

10 slices of deli ham, thinly sliced 

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp rosemary, chopped

grated romano cheese 

dried sweet basil 

Directions:

1. Prepare ingredients: cook and drain spaghetti, slice ham and onion; chop rosemary. 

2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. 

3. Add sliced ham and spaghetti to skillet.  Toss until heated through.

4.  Add rosemary, sour cream and heavy cream to spaghetti; toss until combined. Sprinkle top with dried sweet basil and romano cheese.

5. Serve alone or over our delicious chicken parm.

Sausage Tortellini

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 italian sausages [Johnsonville, mild]

1.5lb seven chesse tortellini (equivalent of 4 cups, uncooked)

2 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

2 large bell peppers  [any color]

1/2 white onion

2tbsp. italian seasoning

3 tbsp. cooking oil (corn or olive)

salt + pepper

Garnish: grated romano chesse

Directions:

 1. PREP:

• Chop bell peppers
• Slice onion and sausage

2. MAKE SAUCE:

• Heat large large french skillet, add oil
• Add onions to hot oil, saute until translucent (about 2-3 min.)
• Add add bell peppers, cook for another 4 minutes.
• Once cooked take from heat into a container, set aside
• In remaining oil cook sausage, once cooked re-introduce veggies to skillet
• Add diced tomatoes, italian seasoning, salt + pepper to taste
• Set heat on low cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

3. COOK TORTELLINI:

• Cook according to package directions

4. PLATE:

• In shallow plate place pasta, top with sausage sauce and romano chesse.
• ENJOY!!!

MOM’S MACARONI

Servings: 10

Nothing is more comforting than macaroni and cheese …. except my MOM’S MACARONI! Try this ez side dish instead of the same old mac-n-cheese, your kids will love it! Its a whole new creamy yummy-ness!

Ingredients:

24oz uncooked small elbow pasta

2lbs roma tomatoes

3 large garlic cloves

1/3 white onion

1/3 cup tomato sauce*  

3 tbsp. cooking oil

2 tbsp. chicken bouillon

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

3 tbsp. tomatoe paste

1 cup sour cream [make it figure friendly substiture w/ fat free]

salt

Directions:

1. Prepare tomato sauce:

• Blend tomatoes, garlic and onion until liquified
•  Heat large fry pan over high heat until very hot, add oil
• Add tomato sauce to hot oil
• Add chicken bouillon, paprika and tomato paste, stir until combined
• Let sauce come to boil then lower heat to a simmer, cover and let it cook for 20 minutes

2. Cook pasta.

• Add 4 liters of water, 1 garlic clover, 1/4 onion and 2 tbsp. to large pasta pot.
• Bring water to a boil
• Add pasta, cook for 8 minutes
• AFTER pasta is cook, drain except for 1/4 cup of pasta water, reserve for later

3. Combine tomato sauce & pasta:

• Add tomato sauce and pasta water to sauce
• Check sauce for salt, add to taste
• Add cooked pasta to sauce, stir until all of pasta is drenched in sauce
• Add cup of sour cream, stir until evenly distributed, cover and cook for another 5 minutes on low

4. Plate and ENJOY! ***

*** You can make this recipe a complete meal by adding raw shrimp to sauce 10 minutes before adding pasta -or- by adding a grilled chicken breast on top!